#the birds. lucy gray‚ the performer. lucy gray‚ the girl who fell in love with snow and was buried under it.

[malinaa]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins CHAPTER 26 / CHAPTER 27 / EPILOGUE

#as always. the mf who always focuses on names focused on names! #lit #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #photo #tais toi lys #thgpost #* #the self-fulfilling prophecy of her name. the tragedy that could only ever be a tragedy. lucy gray who haunts snow for years to come. #lucy gray who lives as a ghost in each victor‚ who died because of snow. lucy gray who remains a mystery‚ forgotten to everyone in time but #the birds. lucy gray‚ the performer. lucy gray‚ the girl who fell in love with snow and was buried under it. #lucy gray baird: the mockingjay who started it all

[clown-bait]

A Very Monster Christmas (Monster Roommmate AU)NSFW

WHOS READY FOR A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! So while I slack off on the main plot, here’s what happens over christmas for the residents of the Neibolt house. Family members visit and the clown learns how to ice skate. Its a fun festive time for all! Except for the people who died.... (This is a 3part special!)

A VERY MONSTER CHRISTMAS Pt1

Leech and Drac and Leatherface all fell through the door in the early morning of the old well house in a heap carrying bags upon bags of decorations and lights.

“Ok men! Battle stations! Bubba you get the bird to the freezer then help Drac with decor and I shall tackle the tree!”

“Let the festivities begin!” the vampire shouted happily digging out the most gaudy looking decor he could find.

The three broke and began flying around downstairs doing various Christmas themed actions. Pennywise was slowly making his way up the stars from the well cracking his joints and stretching after a long night of terrifying the children of the town.

“Well, well, look who's up early! Good morning to you my little hunter!” he purred making a beeline to his favorite young vampire. He wrapped his arms around his mate and let out a happy growl.

“What cha’ doing?”

“Celebrating the up coming holiday” Leech was struggling to pick up the tree she had picked out for the living room.

“Theres a holiday?” Penny picked up a few of the ornaments she had laid out biting one to see if it was edible.

“Christmas?”

“oh that one were everyone is obsessed with pine trees and worship a bearded man?”

“Yes that one”

“I’m rarely awake for it.”

“Pen? Is this going to be your first traditional christmas” Leech’s eyes lit up.

“You're going to make a big deal out of this aren't you?”

“abso-fucking-lutely” she plopped a santa hat on his head.

“Lucky meee.”

“Plug these lights in will you? Tell me if any aren't working!” she excitedly handed him a tangled mess of small lights.

“Woah we doing Christmas?” Chucky strolled in with a coffee

“Apparently.” the clown grumbled already getting tangled in lights.

“Chucky! Be a dear and put some ornaments up with Pen.”

“Who said I was helping” the clown snarled trying to get the lights off of him.

“I did, you're the only one who can reach the top of the tree Pen. I need your height I'm small and insignificant!”

“flattery will not convince me dear”

“I’ll bake you gingerbread cookies and do that tongue thing you like later” Penny’s eyes flicked to Leech and then the tree.

“Doll, Hand me that red decoration.”

“I’m not helping you get laid anymore.”

Penny snatched the box up himself and began hanging decor while Leech battled with the lights. The pair had made progress though the poor vampire was growing more and more frustrated with the plugs.

“Leech. Hey Leech! Leechie look!” he nudged her excitedly

“Penny I'm busy…”

“Just loooooook!!”

“Fine, what is it?”

She turned to look at Pennywise who was holding a large candy cane ornament over his crotch “What does this remind you of?! eheheheehehehehehheee!”

“PENNY!”

“Aww you don't like it? I dont blame you mines bigger.”

“PENNY PLEASE”

“You should see your face little one!”

“I AM TRYING TO KEEP THIS WHOLESOME”

Five or six more inappropriate jokes later they were almost finished. Leech handed Pennywise the star “Alright this is the last one you put up i want you to do it”

“Why? Is it important?

“You know… I actually have no idea? I think its because decorating is stressful or something.”

Pennywise unceremoniously plopped the star on the top of the tree.

“Ok done I want my reward. Cookies first.”

“Wait one last thing” she handed him a plant with a string attached to it. “Hang this in the doorway.”

“A plant?”

“Don't question it just do it.”

“I don’t understand the significance of this decoration.”

“ok don't move.” the vampire walked over to him under the doorway and beckoned for him to lean down. “Are you going to tell me about the plant now?”

“I figure I’d just show you what to do.”

The clown cocked an eyebrow as Leech traced her thumbs on his cheeks. He seemed to get the idea of what she was about to do and closed his eyes as her cold soft lips pressed into his. Pennywise let out a happy churr. “I like this plant” he growled into her mouth and deepened the kiss his large hand coming up to cradle the back of her head as the other cupped her backside.

“WOOOOH MISTLETOEEEE!” Freddy cheered

“Aww I think its sweet! Look at those two!” Tiff elbowed him hard.

Leech pulled away and turned to Freddy. “Don't worry Kruger you can have a turn with Pen after I'm done with him”

“I'm not kissing the clown.”

Penny made a disgusted face and shook his jingly ruffles Leech laughed and kissed him again. “I’m going to go make your cookies……. Be gentle with him Fred”

A half hour passed Pennywise impatiently popped his head into the kitchen.

“Done yet?”

Leech was sitting with her head in one hand joint shakily held in the other. She was staring at her phone in complete terror. The clown cocked his head and poked her. “Leech” he poked her again. “Leeeeeech!” she turned to stare at him.

“My mom decided to surprise me this year.” her voice was empty.

“And?”

“S-She’s in Bangor…”

Penny’s eyes grew wide.

“Is she coming…..here?”

“Yes. She insisted… I couldn't say no. She….She wants to meet you….”

“Flat meeting. Right now.”

————-

“So mom does not know I am undead nor does she know I live with murderers in a house thats barely still standing.”

“Does she know you're getting stuffed by an inter-dimensional clown every night?” Freddy laughed and leaned back against the couch.

“Freddy I swear to god if you mention anything about that I will peel your dick like a banana and feed the scraps to the cat.” Leech dug her claws into the old table.

“Damn Jingles your girl is kinky as fuck.”

“please don’t go there” Pennywise rubbed his temples

“So what are we going to do about it then?” Tiffany asked

“Pen’s going to help make an illusion that were all normal.”

“You sure you can manage that jingles?” Chucky asked.

“I’m the eater of worlds I can handle it. It’s just one human.”

“We’re so going to have to kill Leech’s mom” Chucky laughed.

“NO ONE IS KILLING MY MOM”

—

The preparations had been made everyone was in their human forms or somewhat. Penny was struggling with the illusion of such a massive scale. Leech could see him in deep concentration she was worried he wasn't going to be able to hold it for long.

“Hey you good?”

“F-FINE I'm good I'm fine” as he said that a section of the upper floor crumbled and fell.

“We’re going to have to kill my mom aren't we…”

Two kids resembling Chucky and Tiffany came charging into the room with rage.

“CLOWN! WHY AM I A CHILD” Chucky screamed.

“Look I'm doing bare minimum here doll.”

“GIVE ME BACK MY BOOBS RIGHT NOW!” Tiff was pissed and brandishing a switchblade.

The two angry children both had knives ready to stab Robert Grey in the face when the door rang.

“SHOW TIME PEOPLE! MURDER WEAPONS AWAY!”

Leech opened the door while fixing Robert’s coat.

“LUCY!”

“MOM!”

The two women embraced. Leech's mom was just like an older version of her but with wide hips a small waist and shoulder length wavy blonde hair. She wore a typical burgundy mom sweater and blouse with the most cliche of mom jeans.

“Oh sweetie I missed you so much!” Leech saw the door behind her crumble a bit and Robert’s eye twitch.

“Missed you too mom! Great to see you! Why don't we get you to your hotel and we can all catch up there!”

“Oh but I want to meet your friends!”

“Well there they are you saw them time to go!”

“Dear, proper introductions please.”

“Ok we got Fred, and Vlad their kids Chucky and Tiffany-“

“WAIT WHAT” Freddy and Dracula both said in unison.

“Go with it-“ Leech growled “Um thats Bubba, my landlord Robert and our cat Churchill is around here somewhere.”

“Lucy, which one is the one you're sleeping with?” her mom whispered.

“Mom!”

“Is he the tall one? He's handsome! Such big hands!” she looked Robert up and down.

“MOM”

“See where you get it from now Leech! Your mom’s a horn dog just like you!” Freddy laughed.

“FREDDY!” Leech roared while her mom awkwardly shook Leatherface’s hand

“She is not a horn-dog!” Robert hissed as the piano started to form cobwebs.

“GUYS!”

“She’s pretty bad Jingles” Chucky elbowed Robert in the leg.

“I……You know what actually yeah, she kinda is. Sorry love, you're a freak.”

“GUYS MOM IS RIGHT HERE!”

“Why do they keep calling you Leech?” Ms. Smith looked over at them.

“UM UH its a long story.” Leech felt a tooth start to grow in her mouth.

“MRS. SMITH NICE TO MEET YOU FINALLY.” paint peeled off the wall behind Robert as he interrupted.

“Its Ms. actually. You must be Robert Gray! My daughter’s handsome new man! She tells me so much about you!”

“Ha ha oh mom” Leech laughed nervously

Robert turned to Leech and as the floors faded. “What did you tell her about me?” he whispered. “We will talk about this later…” Leech hissed.

“Well are you going to show me around?”

A window re-broke somewhere upstairs.

“Lets um lets get dinner! first! I’ll call a cab!”

The old door burst back open “NEPHEW!”

“OH FUCK” Leech screamed in sheer terror. Uncle Penny strolled into the house in full clown gear. Several windows upstairs broke and the walls of the house creaked back to its decayed state.

“Nephew? Is your uncle a circus performer Robert?”

“Weeeeeellll helllooo hot stuff” Uncle Penny slid over to Leech’s mom

“Oh um hello?”  Leech twitched as Uncle Pen got uncomfortably close to her mom who was shocked and confused by the sudden invasion of a clown.

“U-Uncle Penny? C-can I have a word?”

“Sure Leechie I’ll humor ya.”

Freddy began to lose some of his skin and a scar started to form on Chucky’s face. Robert was struggling with holding so many illusions at once.

“Ok look were trying to convince my mom I live a normal happy healthy life so she’ll leave. If you're going to stay you gotta play along.”

“So why do I have to be apart of this?”

“You want a human outsider to know all about our little sanctuary then?”

“You’re the one bringing her here and breaking all the rules”

“She just showed up”

“Yeah and you didn't dispose of her vampire. I swear the only reason I put up with your stupid mistakes is because you're dating my nephew.”

“She’s my mom.”

“Wow my junior sure knows how to pick em’. I’ll give you a pass and play along only because I owe ya for helping me clear out my lair. Also I want a date with Ms. Smith. I'm going to be awake for another 2 years now that its winter and junior cant have all the fun.”

“SHE IS MY MOM”

“And you got her good looks doll-face. I'm starting to see why the twerp is so into ya.”

“UNCLE PEN REALLY?”

“I mean technically were the same being sooo the attraction does make sense.”

“I cant believe were having this discussion.”

Robert walked into the room with a forced smile on his face “Can we please go now? You've abandoned me long enough.”

“Your uncle has a crush on my mom.”

“Well I mean we are the same being….”

“OH MY GOD.”

———————

“Lucy dear you're not eating?”

“I'm fine” she wasn't fine she was starving. She could hear every heart in the room and could smell every blood type. What made matters worse the waitress was a virgin with the sweetest smelling blood and the reddest cheeks. She felt herself salivating beginning to fantasize about sinking her teeth deep into the girls neck. Leech kept thinking about feeling that initial break of the skin and the pop of her favorite vein. It was enough to get the vampire going into a complete frenzy. Robert Gray kicked her under the table when he noticed that her eyes were trained on the woman whenever she walked by. “Hungry dear?” he asked with an evil grin watching the waitress pour his water. “N-not at all.” Gosh those veins are big…. he chuckled. “I don't know you look rather peckish” Leech kicked him back hard.

“He is right dear you look very pale maybe you should eat something” her mother chimed in.

“You know maybe I just need to use the restroom excuse me…” she got up and practically ran to the nearest restroom frantically digging through her bag for her emergency flask. Leech began chugging it in an attempt to keep the hunger at bay. She peeked out and saw Robert casually talking with her mom. It was weird to see him being social. He gave her a golden eye flash and a grin, enjoying seeing her struggle with her true nature, the one he preferred. “Oh dear he is just lovely!” her mom said as she sat down “I’m so glad to see you've finally settled down after the whole Adam thing”

“Settled down?”

“Robert said something about moving in together and sharing the house?”

“Did he now?” she glanced over to the clown in disguise. “We talked about it ONCE but nothing is final. RIGHT DEAR?”

“Ha right guess I’m just excited.” he looked..nervous? She’d have to ask him about this later.

The waitress had come back and Leech’s eyes nearly rolled back into her skull from the smell. especially when she reached over the vampire to grab a menu, giving her the perfect view of her neck. Robert laughed at her as the waitress took orders. “Sir? How would you like your steak?” the creature in disguise smiled wolfishly “Blue. Practically mooing. Also no sides just meat” Leech’s mom gave him a strange look. “And you miss?”

“Um uh I’ll not have anything” except your pretty little heart on my plate.

“You sure dear you look so thin!” her mom placed a hand on her knee in concern.

“I’m sure mom”

“She’s right you know you are looking paler then usual darling maybe you should step out for some air.”

“Later.”

Leech scratched at her wig a bit. The clown was going to torture her about this she just knew it.

————-

When the food arrived Robert made a huge show of eating his steak letting the blood fall off each slice and making sure Leech was watching as he bit into it. She was losing her mind in her seat. Her mom rambled and Robert answered questions coming up with perfect lies. Leech saw a drop of blood on her lovers lips and felt like she was about to go full frenzy. When the waitress came by one more time to take their dessert orders that was when Leech stood up. “I need some fresh air.” she scurried out the back exit into an alleyway.

She poked her head back in looking for the virgin waitress. She needed to feed RIGHT NOW. “See me” she whispered the waitress looked up at her and walked over. Robert was watching the scene with absolute delight. “I dropped my contact can you come help me find it?” she asked hastily. It was a lame lure but Leech was desperate. The girl walked closer to the door. Almost there. “Help me I cant see” Leech’s eyes shined like two tiny moons in the night while a faint churr gurgled in the back of her throat. The door shut behind the waitress “Oh thank fuck” Leech purred and slammed the woman into the wall. She covered the girls mouth to muffle the scream and inhaled her neck flesh deeply. “God you smell so delicious human.” she licked the skin. “I'm going to savor every last drop of this.” Leech threw her own head back and extended her fangs. The poor sweet girl under her screamed and screamed but Leech pressed her hand into her mouth harder till the waitress was biting through it. She dove down and felt that sweet, sweet pop of the skin breaking till she hit what she was looking for. The vampire let the liquid life pour down her throat as she began to moan and growl in sublime satisfaction.

Leech felt a tap on the shoulder as she finished finding Robert standing behind her watching. “My, my, my love! What big teeth you have” he chuckled Leech turned and screeched at him. “Relax its me.” he gently wiped some of the blood off her cheek with a finger tasting it himself. “You've been gone a for a bit mom got worried. See you couldn't restrain yourself.” he pulled her into him “Mind if I have a better taste dear?” Leech nodded, still in a bit of a frenzy and Robert pressed his lips against hers. She brought her hands up to his jaw and ran blood covered fingers against the side of his face. “Mmm you know how I love seeing you at work little hunter.” he groaned into her mouth “You may be sloppy but the passion you put into the kill is irresistible” his eyes flashed yellow in the night. Robert cleaned some of the red off Leech’s neck and face with hot licks and kisses. “Sorry I'm a mess” she panted “I like messes, I get to clean them up” he growled into her ear before he continued to suck the warm blood off her neck. “Shit Pen! If my mom wasn't waiting I’d be begging you to fuck me right now in this alley.”

“We can send her a cab and take the long way home…. then you can watch me at work” the clowns voice had broken through near the end causing Leech to whimper a bit. He chuckled and groped her breast with a huge hand. “You like the clown more than this human don't you dirty girl?”

“Mmmm bet you want to see him hunt and kill again just like when I first tasted you,” he chuckled pressing a hand to her stomach. “how brave of you to approach a hungry monster like that. I could have torn you apart”

“W-why didn't you?”

He kissed her again pushing her into the wall.

“You changed. I should have taken you right then and there.” he snarled. Grinding his hips against her with need.

“Oh fuck Penny~” Leech moaned and he shoved up her dress to rub her pussy.

“Gonna to have to stop this soon or Ol’ Pennywise is going to have you slammed against that wall, screaming my name for all to hear.”

“I’m half tempted to say do it anyway” Leech panted. She was soaking through her leggings from the friction Pennywise/Robert was giving her. The disguised clown chuckled darkly and nipped at the gauges in her ear while gently tearing a hole in her leggings. Leech moaned when she felt his bare fingers make contact with her slick folds. He found her sensitive nub and beginning to rub lazy circles into it. “Look at my dirty girl! Moaning for her clown right next to a warm corpse. Maybe he’ll come out to play with you later if you're good” he began playfully teasing her entrance “My little cold blooded killer.” he chuckled “Just like her mate” Robert shoved a long finger inside of her and began to pump, Leech gasped as he fucked her with his hand. “Fuck Penny that feels so good”

“Do you want more darling?”

“Yes” she panted

“Say it.”

“I want more Pennywise please!”

“That’s my girl. You're always so good for me.”

He pushed another finger into her and quickened his thrusts his animalistic growls breaking through the human disguise he wore. Leech moaned and spread her legs wider for him grinding her hips down onto his hand.  

He stopped and Robert pulled her dress back over her thighs. Leech wined at the loss of him but he put a single finger to her lips and looked to the door.

The restaurant door opened and a familiar looking man poked his head out. “Woaaah junior look at you getting frisky in the back alley after a big meal! Good for you kiddo!”

“You’re in an unusually chipper mood.” Robert growled.

“Well your Uncle Bob here just got himself a nice date with a certain mama vampire.”

“She’s not a vampire” Leech poked her head up from behind Robert’s arm

“Look tell her well be back in a minute I need to hide this body and ….clean” he turned to Leech and smirked “Looks like were going to need to post pone our plans, wanna get dessert with me later?”

“Are you even hungry? I thought you ate all night last night.”

he flashed her a fang filled grin “I can be”

Leech rolled her eyes and kissed him while Uncle Bob shut the door shaking his head.

“Its a date~” she smiled.

--------------------

Part 2 will be out tomorrow! Get ready for ice skating Robert and cute gore fluff!

#pennywise #pennywise the dancing clown #pennywise fanfiction #pennywise x oc #pennywise x reader #it fanfiction #monster roommate au #pennywise smut

[not-just-any-fangirl]

Days Of Summer CH 4

A/N; Four weeks running, it’s a new record! Me and @hannah-nobody are super glad all you are enjoying this so much, we too love our awkward and emo Natsu! It’s fun trying to write his complex character, cocky and loud while also doubting of his place with others. Plus, who wasn’t melodramatic in their late teens? 

Not to mention we get to explore some really interesting friendships! Lucy and Gajeel anyone?

Here’s the updated playlist!

Summer has arrived, and with it the start of the two month long music camp; Fairy Tail! Full of new songs, friends, and adventures, the campers learn things they never knew about themselves and one another. And just how easy it is to sneak booze and a full sized karaoke machine out into the middle of the woods.

Camp Rock!AU

Pairing: Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, others mentioned; Fairy Tail

Words: 6994

Rating: T

Parts: Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven

Chapter Four: Stuck In The Middle

'Cause

Someday things will be perfect

It will be worth it all this time

Stuck in the middle

Natsu let the ice pack fall onto the bed. His cheek still hurt like a bitch, but at least it wasn’t throbbing anymore. Fuck, he had almost forgotten how strong Erza was. Natsu snorted as he thought about how he should have one of those ‘certain number of days since last incident’ posters in their cabin. Actually, it would be a miracle if they even got to day 1 on that thing. Gajeel glared at him, split lip and a light bruise on his cheek showing Erza had punished him as much as she had Natsu.

“Would ya quite makin’ all that fuckin’ noise?”

“I snorted.” Natsu defended sourly.

“And now yer talkin’.” Gajeel snarled back.

“Go fuck yourself Gear Head.” Natsu grumbled, jumping down from his bunk without the help of the ladder. He stood from his slight crouch, whipping a pillow he stole from Gray’s bunk at Gajeel, who in turn batted it away with the back of his hand to where it landed in a cobwebbed corner. What a shame.

“If yer headin’ out try not and stalk Bunny Girl, got it? Me and Lily don't need to hafta keep separating you and Ice Tits. Also don't need to explain to yer old man why you sent a kid to the hospital in yer first week of camp.” Gajeel didn't bother looking at Natsu as he spoke, instead scribbling in his notebook that he liked to hide under his mattress.

“Thinking that hard won't help your headache.” Natsu commented, grinning at the low snarl his cousin gave him and the distracted bird he was flipped. “And you might wanna try that in G minor rather than A major. It'll get that ‘secretly happy’ sound instead of ‘obviously happy’ that you're allergic to.”

Gajeel grunted in response, Natsu rolling his eyes when he heard rushed erasing and rewriting.

“And let me know if you need any help with words that rhyme with shortie.”

“Fuck off Strawberry.”

Natsu ducked out the screen door, snorting at the loud ‘thump’ that signaled that Gajeel had thrown something at his back. And missed.

He fought back a small grin as he slipped in his earphones. He knew for a fact that Gajeel had a pretty deadly aim when he wanted to. As much as he and Gajeel fought, at least he knew his jackass of a cousin would be in his corner. And Happy too for that matter, but Natsu could always rely on his little friend.

Natsu thumbed through his playlists on his old iPod, the silver back scratched to shit and the generation so old it no longer updated. Natsu had gotten this for his eighth birthday, Igneel having saved up for the surprise for months. Natsu settled on the playlist titled ‘Life is Stupid’ humming along as the opening bars of The Anthem by Good Charlotte blasted in his ears.

He walked slowly as he followed the gravel path from the cabin area to the main camp, letting his mind drift off into fantasies of talking to Lucy. He became more depressed as each time it ended in Lucy running away in disgust as she remembered him, not even able to pretend in his own mind that she would want him. Wasn’t that just fucking pathetic.  

Natsu groaned and kicked at a stone in front of him, sending it skipping through the grass beside the trail and into a bush. She had called him her friend, though, so that meant she didn’t hate him, right? Or had she just been yelling at Gray? Natsu had to admit, it was stupidly easy to yell at Mr. My Face Begs To Be Punched.

Dragging his hand along his face Natsu clicked the skip button attached to his headphones until heavy drums flooded his brain, overbearing as it drowned out his own thoughts. He absently fixed his dark grey beanie covering his stupid hair. This was fine. Natsu was fine. Lucy didn’t need to know, and if she didn’t know, she couldn’t laugh in his face. Natsu kicked a larger pebble, sending it arcing through the air and rolling along the path a few feet in front of him. Lucy was too sweet to laugh at him, but she could still reject him. A cold pit lodged itself in his gut, similar to the time that he had been cornered by his teacher and forced to read from the stupid playbook in English class.

Natsu still had nightmares.

The song faded out, Natsu barely registering the change as he walked past the climbing wall. While Fairy Tail was a music camp, they did offer some traditional activities for their campers such as lake sports, archery, and the 30-foot tall climbing wall, to name a few. The camp had other activities, but Natsu’s focus drifted as he caught sight of the mess hall. The two-story building was made entirely out of giant wood logs, large glass windows breaking up the light brown colour all around the building. While the roof was domed inside for acoustics, the camp had kept up with the outdoorsy aesthetic and the outside was a mess of sharp angles and triangles for the roof and over each window.

It had been like this for as long as Natsu could remember, and he felt a part of his anxiety wash away at the familiar sight. It was nice to know that some things would never change, Fairy Tail being one of them.

He debated grabbing a cinnamon swirl cookie -a signature of the camp- but chose not to, continuing on his path. Natsu passed groups of kids walking by, laughing and talking and being more social than Natsu felt up to. He kept his chin up, though, confidence leaking into him by being surrounded by the comforting sights and smells. Fairy Tail was basically a second home for him, and he was good at what he did here.

Natsu drummed his fingers along his stomach in time with a guitar riff, hands inside the large center pocket of the hoodie he had thrown on before leaving. He finally passed the second largest building at camp, making his way along the path that led towards the largest one, the open faced stage where they would perform at the end of each week. Natsu closed his eyes as he remembered the feeling of standing on the stage, heart pounding along with the heavy drum beat, fingertips almost numb from the strings on his guitar as he performed. Light flashed in his mind, the roar of the crowd overwhelming and euphoric at the same time.

He was going to sing this year, Natsu decided as he opened his eyes. No more playing guitar in the background. Besides, there was no going back now; Natsu had already checked off the ‘singer’ box alongside ‘guitarist’ when sending his application in the winter.

God, Natsu was going to puke.

His palms became clammy as he thought of standing center stage, a weird mix of nausea and excitement that had Natsu thankful he hadn’t wasted any of his food allowance on that cookie.

Natsu paused as he passed the break in the trees that led to the field in front of the auditorium stage, his feet moving him without permission. Before he knew it he was standing in the open area where everyone had gathered before for the welcoming ceremony, the space far more intimidating and surreal without the masses of campers and staff filling in the wood bench risers.

His iPod switched songs again, Natsu singing along more passionately now that he was alone.

“Condemned to be forever unable,

To give this stupid thing the time that it deserves,

I heard a proud few when the windows were gone,

All singing the same time to separate songs.”

Natsu tilted his head back as he sang at the clear sky, sun warm as it bore down on him. His voice carried through the empty clearing. Natsu got to the skirt of the stage, his voice becoming strained as he hauled himself up with his arms. He rested on his knees, feet hanging off the stage as he looked it over.

Aged but polished metal followed the curving ceiling to the center point 30 feet in the air, braces for the booms mounted against them and wires wrapping through the metal lattices until they reached the bars at every third of the dome. The space between the start of the roof and the stage itself was just tall enough for a person over Gajeel’s height to walk through, greenery of the forest peeking through the mess of metals and wires and sound equipment. Natsu ran a hand over the rough wooden stage floor, taking in the feel of it. How many people had performed here, found their love and passion for music on this stage?

He stood, wandering to the center of 20 by 16 foot platform. He turned in a tight circle, breathing in the fresh air with a deep inhale. Natsu's eyes fell shut as he relived last year’s final performance, the lights and the crowd in his mind shifting to what he imagined performing at a rock concert would be, adrenaline pounding and the music burning in his soul. His hands pantomimed holding Fev, fingers tracing the cords from memory in the air as he played along to the music blasting in his ears.

As the music faded out he raised his hands in the hair, basking in the echo of the applause of his memories. He remembered looking out into the cheering crowd, that feeling of utter elation building and building with the volume of the cheers, and the pride in the faces of Erza and Makarov and Gildarts and… that one empty chair.

Natsu dropped his arms as though his puppet strings had finally been cut loose. Another song began in his ears, but he ripped earbuds out before the words even started. He stared at that spot, row f, seat 14. Empty now and empty then. No matter how much the crowd screamed, how good could he possibly be if his own father couldn’t spare the time to come see him play?

He knew it was stupid. Igneel had been out saving lives, why should he stop to hear a cover of a song he’d already heard a hundred times. His work was much more important, and Natsu understood that. Igneel has promised he would get the day off to come see his performance at the final ceremony this year, so he’d just have to make it so amazing that last years didn’t even bare to think about. Natsu clenched his fist around his iPod. He could do it, he could find the perfect song.

But still, the task was daunting.

Frustrated with his own self doubt, Natsu jammed his headphones back in his ears and flicked through his iPod until he found the perfect motivational song. Something to burn his self doubt into shreds. He debated Work Bitch- but then skipped it for shame of hiding Britney under ‘Unknown Artist’ should someone ever browse his most treasured possession- before eventually settling on a song that was 75% certain to make Gajeel disown him if he ever found out he listening to something so not-death-metal-ish.

He pressed play, turned the volume to its fullest and took as deep breath as the intro kicked in. A thought struck him and he dashed to the side of the stage, desperate to find the necessary props for this once in a lifetime solo performance before the vocals kicked in. He grabbed a mic stand someone had been generous enough to leave an unplugged mic in and rushed back to centre stage. He had a second to compose himself before he took the mic in his right hand and shoved his iPod in his back pocket, leaving his other hand free to perform Dramatic Emotive Gestures.

“I don’t remember the morning I tried to forget,

I lost myself and it’s better not said

Now I’m closer, to, the edge,”

Natsu pointed at that empty fucking chair with all the grace of 2009 Jared Leto he could muster. He imaged the camera right by his face, the lights, the crowd, the band behind him. He gritted his teeth as he sang for full scale emotional intensity.

“It was a thousand to one and a million to two

Time to go down in flames and i'm taking you

Closer. To. The. Edge.”

He fully enunciated every word as though he’d never once stuttered speaking to a stranger or a pretty blonde girl. As though this was his stage and his song and he fucking owned this.

“No I’m not saaaaaaaaying, I’m soooooooorry,

One day, maybe we’ll meet again.”

He screamed the words into the mic because they did they did meet again and he wasn’t sorry for that not one bit and by God he wasn’t going to mess it up this time. He ripped the mic from the stand as he finished the chorus, kicking the stand away in the process so he was unhindered as the next verse began and he stepped forward calmly to sing about dreams and music and falling and getting back up and fuck he loved this song Gajeel be damned.

He punched his fist into the air with every no he sung into the mic. He closed his eyes and for a second he was there. The crowd was there with him, punching their fists into the air in time with his own. His throat was tingling as he held the note and he could feel the heat of the lights on him as he plucked at his imaginary guitar strings during the bridge. By the time the song came to the close he finally opened his eyes and he could tell his voice was hoarse as the song finished.

“Closer to, the edge.”

Natsu laughed to himself as he whipped the sweat from his brow and removed his headphones… to the sound of applause.

A single applause. Natsu looked up in horror to find the scantily clad brunette from earlier that had groped Lucy’s… that had groped Lucy. Cana.

“Hhhooo boy!” She shouted from her seat in the back row, “Well, damn. I sure am on the edge of somethin’!”

Even from this distance Natsu spotted her wink. For the second time in an hour, he was sure he was gonna puke.

Gajeel lifted his eyes from the ninth thick line of crossed out lyrics, cocking his head to the side as he listened. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that was his dumbass cousin’s voice faintly forcing its way into his cabin.

Had Natsu gotten his hands on a fucking megaphone?

Gajeel closed his eyes, concentrating on what the hell the words were supposed to be. No way...

Gajeel was going to get his hands on Natsu's iPod and delete everything pre 2010, that boy needed to stop living in his emo past. And he said Gajeel had bad taste in music.

“Yer owner’s such a fuckwit he probably doesn't even know the mics on.” Gajeel said to the bundle of blue fur curled into the crook of his knee. Happy lifted his head and blinked at Gajeel slowly, meowing loudly before tucking back into a fuzzy ball. “Ya get me.” He nodded to himself, rubbing a knuckle between Happy’s ears fondly, the small cat’s low purr sparking the cat resting on Gajeel's head to begin to purr as well.

With a low curse Gajeel turned his attention back to the pad of paper in front of him. He couldn't even get a measly line down, and he was getting close to just digging through Gray's bags for a lighter and setting the entire fucking building on fire. Notebook included.

He'd save the instruments.

Probably.

Probably not his roommates though.

Gajeel settled for whipping the pencil across the room, sticking lead first between the paneling. Gajeel nodded to himself. Metal as fuck.

Panther Lily meowed in approval.

Happy didn't care. But Gajeel couldn't blame the cat, he probably had brain damage from listening to Natsu blubber over Lucy for months.

Gajeel pulled another pencil from behind his ear, two others pushed into the knot he had put his hair in to get it out of his face. He bit sharply on the end, pencil eraser gone so all he got was the sharp tang of metal and the satisfying crunch of the fake wood.

Maybe that was where his writer's block was coming from. Natsu had been getting his inspiration from love and flowers and other disgusting things so where was he, a true artist with an aversion to love songs, meant to gleam some ideas from? The sky?

Oh the sky looks so blue, he thought, just like your hair. The sun is her headband.

Gajeel sat up straight. No. This would not do. If he started singing about love- an emotion which he had never, for the record, experienced ever- what would he start singing about next? Laughter? Friendship? The joy of learning???

Yeah fucking right.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was just a classic case of Overexposure. To Natsu, that is. That moron was so lovey-dovey Gajeel wouldn’t be surprised if he woke in the night to find the hothead kissing his pillow. No, he had to distance himself so that his symptoms wouldn’t worsen. No doubt the idiot would be on his way back any moment now once he’d realised the true scale of his embarrassment.

Gajeel decided to take a walk and stay clear of the drama.

He untangled Lily from his head, holding the black cat in one hand as he scooped the blue one in his other hand. Both meowed in complaint of being moved, limp in his hands as he stood from the bed. He rolled his eyes when he watched them snuggle deeper into the pillow he placed them on, Happy crawling on top of Lily before falling back asleep.

If Gajeel was less of a badass he'd call them cute. But he wasn't, so he shoved his notepad under the thin mattress, grabbed his noise canceling headphones, slung them around his neck as he grabbed his phone and threw open the front door to the cabin.

He was stopped from fully exiting, however, when he bumped into something. He looked around, confused as to what had blocked him.

“Oh um, hello,” a light voice said. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at empty space in front of his face. It was like if he thought about her she just appeared.

“Whatcha want, Shrimp?” Gajeel asked, feeling his lips crack into an unauthorized smile as he looked down. Levy pouted at the -very clever, Gajeel thought- nickname, hands fisting on her hips.

“I have a name you know.” She said pointedly, glaring at Gajeel as she leaned forward. Heh, it was cute how she tried to intimidate him.

Wait.

No. She wasn't cute. Gajeel didn't think anything was cute.

“Yeah. Yer name’s ‘Shrimp’.” Gajeel smirked, patting a hand on her head. Shit, she barely reached his ribcage when he flattened her hair. But damn if it didn't feel soft against his fingers.

“You're messing up my hair!” Levy complained, swatting at his hand. Gajeel it took back with a shrug, grin widening when she muttered as she fixed her bright yellow headband, the colour loud against her bright blue hair. Gajeel wondered if she dyed it. “Dummy.”

“So what brings ya callin’? Need someone to lift you to reach the high shelf?” He teased. She blushed in irritation, huffing as Levy tried to think of a comeback.

“No.” She said, pausing again as she bit her lip. “I was looking for Lucy, and I thought she might be with Gray and Loke. But it looks like they're not here.”

“Well why the hell am I ‘posed to know where those idiots are?” Gajeel questioned, a heavy stone sitting in his gut at Levy’s disappointed face, her frail shoulders dropping.

“We were supposed to go explore the camp together.” Levy said, voice almost a nasally whine. She gave another heavy sigh, slipping her hands into the pockets of her shorts, white cloth peaking out from the short cargo coloured pants. Gajeel thought it was pretty stupid that her pockets were longer than her actual shorts, but he also wasn’t about to tell that to Levy;s face when he could get an eyeful of thigh. Not that Gajeel was looking. Because he wasn’t.

He wasn’t.

“Well if ya promise to not bug me too much I can give you a tour ‘till we find Bunny Girl.” Gajeel grunted, shifting awkwardly on his feet. Why had he done that? The whole point of leaving the cabin was to not think about pretty girls.

Holy fuck he was going to fucking kill Natsu with one of the strings from that stupid red guitar.

“What?” Levy asked, brown eyes wide like a doe’s. Gajeel grunted again, walking past her and down the path.

“It was just a thought.” He said, ducking his head as he lifted his headphones over his ears. Maybe that would hide their burning colour.

“No, no, wait! Thank you, I’d- I’d appreciate that!” Levy called, hurrying to walk beside him. Gajeel looked from the corner of his eye, hesitating before pulling the headphones back to where they wrapped around the back of his neck, tucked under his bun. He stuffed his hands into his jeans, thumbnail rubbing along the pick he kept in his left pocket.

They walked in silence, nerves finally making Gajeel want to punch a tree. This was stupid. He was stupid. What did it matter that he could pick Levy up with one hand, or that she was showing what was probably an obscene amount of skin for a summer camp. Were the rips in the back of her tank top really necessary? Even if they looked metal...

He paid more attention to Levy as they wound their way through the cabin area. Her eyes were focused directly ahead, eyebrows set in concentration. She was taking almost three steps for every step he took. And that was fucking hilarious.

“Havin’ trouble there, Shrimp?” Gajeel asked, widening his stride. He wondered if he could make her run to keep up.

“Well not all of us are so blessed in the height department.” Levy snapped, irritated scowl pulling down her full lower lip and making the bridge of her nose bunch. She gasped when she noticed his longer strides, swatting at his chest with the back of her hand in an offended motion. “You’re doing this on purpose!” She accused, stopping in her spot and crossing her arms to glare at Gajeel.

“Gihii, I don’t know whatcha talkin’ ‘bout Shrimp.” Gajeel drawled, scratching the side of his face as he looked her over. “Ain’t my fault ya got some size envy.”

Levy’s glare finally made a shiver crawl along his spine, and a thought crossed his mind that Levy could very well kick his ass is she wanted to. He had no idea how, but it still felt very true. “I mean, I’m sure bein’ so small could come in handy. Like communicating with the mice that make your clothes.” Gajeel bit his tongue. Why couldn’t he stop teasing her?

“Are you calling me Cinderella or referencing a children’s book?” Levy asked, suspicious as she slowly walked back to his side.

“Uh,” Gajeel stumbled over his words. Shit. “No?”

“Because that book was my favourite when I was a kid,” Levy hummed, tone suddenly light as they began walking again. “I think it was called Everything For Something? Or was it Nothing From Someone?” Levy hummed, tapping a finger on her lips as she spoke. Gajeel twitched with each improper title. Obviously, it was Something From Nothing, but he wasn’t about to say that. He shrugged instead, focusing on the few birch trees in between the maple and harlequin trees, their white and peeling bark standing out in the sea of green.

“Oh well, I’m sure it’ll come to me.” Levy pouted, put out by being unable to trip up Gajeel. He began to pick at the flaking design on his guitar pick in his pocket as silence fell over them again. Why did he care if it was awkward? He didn’t, because that would A; mean he cared at all -which he didn't- and B; that Gajeel felt awkward, which he definitely didn’t. He also didn’t want to hear Levy laugh. She probably snorted like the nerd she was for knowing that reference.

“So how’d ya know Erza?” he asked instead of keeping his fat mouth shut. Maybe he should pick up his bad habit of chewing on his necklace. At least then his fucking voice wouldn’t crack. Not that it cracked. Because Gajeel was past puberty, obviously.

He didn’t know how but he blamed Natsu.

“Oh, I take Judo with Erza, and she teaches a self-defence class I go to sometimes.” Levy said easily. At least Gajeel knew his self preservation instincts were right, if she was in the same class as Erza then she could take his ass in an instant.

“I haven’t seen ya around the city. Though I guess I wouldn’t be looking so close to the ground to notice, gihii-urgh.” Gajeel said, smirk falling as she elbowed him in the spleen. Damn did she have pointy elbows, but Gajeel couldn’t let her know that, so he kept walking, ignoring the throbbing and inability to breath.

“I’m not even that short!” Levy defended.

“Are you over five foot?” Gajeel asked, peering down at her expectantly.

“Four ten and a half.” Levy grumbled under her breath, huffing and looking away when Gajeel cackled loudly. “Shut up. How do you know Erza, anyway? Judging by the way you ran at lunch I’d say you two know each other pretty well.”

Gajeel grit his teeth when he remembered the fiasco that had been completely his cousin’s fault. And his roommates for that matter. “We’ve both been regulars at camp for a couple years, my pink haired dumbass of a cousin too, and we go to East Hill together. If ya think she’s a terror here you don’t even know what she’s like as student president.” Gajeel shivered as he remembered their pep rallies, attendance not optional. “I don’t know how Juvia manages to wring her in.”

Gajeel and Juvia had come up through the same middle school class, both part of a local gang that Juvia’s uncle had run. Igneel had tried to step in, but with Metalicana serving overseas as an army mechanic there had been little chance of Gajeel listening to him. They had both finally left together just before a big bust sent Juvia’s uncle to jail and her on the street, then Gajeel’s house. She had found solace in musical theater while Gajeel had reconnected with Natsu and Igneel, even if he’d never admit to his cousin how much he had helped him. Now Gajeel was set to graduate his metalshop program with honours next year, and Juvia wouldn’t stop bugging him and Natsu to join band and work in the pit for her last performance. As if Gajeel was gonna go anywhere near Erza and her obsession with the stage, even if she was only the stage manager.

“Wow, it seems like everyone here knows one another,” Levy sighed, the two now wandering through the outdoor activity stations. Gajeel raised a pierced eyebrow as he noticed the arrows and bows just laying in the field. Who was the genius that left those out?

“We get new people every year,” he said gruffly, inspecting an arrow off the ground. “Like Bunny Girl and those the dumbass she brought with her.”

“How come you call her Bunny Girl?” Levy asked, wandering to the next station that held bocce balls and lawn markers.

“‘Cus she looks ‘bout as scary as a cotton tailed rabbit.” Gajeel said, head snapping to Levy when he heard a light snicker. Her hand covered her mouth but her dark eyes were dancing, and Gajeel grinned proudly. He'd managed to make her laugh.

“Don't let her hear you say that.” Levy warned, wagging a finger at Gajeel even as she returned his shit eating grin -as his father liked to remind him every time they saw one another. “I'm sure it takes a lot of skill to herd Loke, Gray, and Cana. They're like cats.”

Gajeel scoffed. “Don't insult cats like that.”

Levy laughed openly, clasping her hands behind her back as they wandered past the rock wall and along the path that would lead them to the rehearsal studios. “You're right,” she hummed.

“Hey! I see Juvia!” She said suddenly, gripping Gajeel's wrist as she began a light trot. Gajeel blinked dumbly down at where her tiny hand half encircled his wrist, just above the spike wristband he wore, because it was metal.

“Uh,” he said, like even more of an idiot, letting Levy drag him to where Juvia had begun to wave. He noticed how her hair bounced with each step, light and easily caught in the breeze as it fluttered around her headband. Gajeel was reminded how blue was his favourite colour.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Natsu wondered if he jumped off the stage if the five feet would be enough to kill him.

Probably not.

He debated trying it anyway as Cana sauntered down the steps. Natsu yanked at his headphones, stuffing them in what was already a knotted mess of wires into his hoodie pocket, hands following after he placed the mic on the ground as he tried to will himself to disappear. “So tell me, how’d you switch personalities like that?” Cana asked as she made her way to the stage, crossing her arms on the edge of the elevated floor and looking up at him. “One minute you're the dictionary definition of ‘needs a hug but doesn’t know how to ask for one’ and the next you’re Mr. Rock God, owning the stage like it’s your bitch.”

Natsu choked on his spit, taking a hand out of it’s safety nest to pull his beanie further down his face. Maybe if he just prayed really hard a meteor would fall from the sky, killing him instantly. When a few seconds passed with no such divine intervention, Natsu released the breath he’d been holding and peeked at Cana, who now sat on the edge of the stage, one knee bent as an armrest and the other hanging off the old wood. She raised an eyebrow as more silence passed by them, taking a sip from a flask she had gotten from... somewhere.

“The music, I guess.” Natsu mumbled, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. He knew that Cana was close to Lucy now, and whatever hope he had of not being a total idiot in front of her was gone. Her and Cana were probably going to laugh about it for hours. And Loke. And Gray too, probably.

Fuck.

Maybe he’d just live in the woods for the rest of camp.

“Well you should get that confidence with whatever you do. I haven’t heard someone sing with that much raw talent for years.” Cana said instead, and Natsu almost choked on his spit, again. He stalled under her unexpectedly serious look, head tilted forward as her mouth followed her lowered flask. “It suits you.”

Natsu was struck by the sudden family resemblance between her and Gildarts. The old man had been Natsu’s mentor the last few times he’d been at Fairy Tail, Natsu always feeling easy around him like he did with his own father. He didn’t know why, but seeing the same eyes staring at him from the semi-drunk teenager both calmed and unnerved him.

‘Um, thanks.” Natsu said.

“No prob!” Cana smiled, back to her early cocky smirk. “‘Sides, Lucy loves guys that look like they know what they’re doing, and you have the right amount of innocent virgin that’ll take her off her guard.”

Natsu flushed deeply, stuttering over harsh denials at Cana’s vague hand movements that gestured to, well, him. “I-, I mean I’m not not but I d-don’t see, I- fuckin’ alcoholic!” he finally spat out, glaring at the ground as he hopped from the stage, hands stuffed back into his pocket in fists. His glare snapped to her as she cackled loudly.

“Holy shit, if you could see your face! Relax buddy, no one cares here, duh. It’s a stupid social construct anyway, no need to get your panties in a bunch.” Cana waved off, patting him roughly on the back as she followed suit and pushed off the stage, walking towards the entrance to the arena.

Natsu debated turning on his heel and disappearing to go find a nice cliff to throw himself off of, but decided against it. Who would take care of Fev? Happy was sure to find a good home with one of his cousins, but his guitar? He wouldn’t trust her with anyone but himself.

“Yknow,” Cana began, pulling him from his thoughts, “your performance actually reminded me of someone.”

Natsu raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

Cana opened her mouth to answer the question, but was interrupted by a very loud, very abrupt, distinctly red-headed-

“YOU THERE! HALT!”

Cana cursed to herself before springing up and grabbing Natsu by the scarf.

“Run for your life you virginal Jared Leto!”

Natsu fought for breath as Cana pulled him along, his feet complying with the harsh jolt from the rest of his body. He glanced behind them just as they slipped backstage to see two people, one with ‘Camp Enforcer’ written on her megaphone in sharpie, running down the steps towards the stage.

Why did he not check the mic was on?!

Eventually Cana let go of him to fumble with the dock on a stage side door. Her steady hand surprised him considering he was pretty sure that flask she'd had not five minutes ago was now empty. Within seconds they were out the door and barricading it behind them.

They ran for another five minutes. Making sure she-who-shall-not-be-named was no longer in pursuit. Cana found the whole endeavor quite hilarious. Natsu, however, was shitting himself. Even if Erza hadn't caught him now, there was no doubt she'd recognized his voice. She would come for him. Maybe not now. Maybe not later. But soon.

She would find him.

Natsu gulped.

“Anyway, what was I saying again?” Cana asked as though they hadn't just finished running for their lives.

“Something about my performance remind you of someone?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Please don't say Gray,” Natsu cut in, “I couldn't live with myself.”

“Oh no, you don't wear nearly enough eyeliner.”

“I don't wear any eyeliner.”

“That's not the point here,” Cana waved her hand flippantly and pulled another, different flash from- well, it had to be thin air bc the girl had no pockets. Or y’know, an actual shirt.

And then she surprised him even more.

“You reminded me of Lucy.”

Natsu froze.

“WHAT?!”

“Have you ever seen her perform.” She insisted, “And I don't mean that fancy-smanshy graceful piano playing- I mean really perform.”

“I-I've never even heard her sing.”

“Well first of all, you're missing out. But second of all,” Cana smiled to herself, “About a year ago Lucy had this huge argument with her Dad. I can't even remember what it was about but fuck- she stayed at my house for a full week. Then all of a sudden, she just went home. Said everything was fine. Loke found out she'd signed up to the talent show the next day, and eventually she all asked for our help in putting her act together. But it was her act. It was the first time she ever went solo.”

Natsu listened with interest, not quite understanding where Cana was going with this.

“She invited her dad. Reserved the best seat in the house for him. And by God, that was the best ‘fuck you’ performance I've ever seen in my life.”

“What did she do?” He was a little afraid to ask.

“She sang Not Ready To Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks and man, country was so unexpected but fuck if she didn't work it.” Cana looked up at the sky, awe in her eyes as she relived the performance. “Played her violin as even more of an ‘in your face, Dad’ point and damn if I didn’t cry tears of joy watching that angry little blonde seeth into the microphone and play her violin to a non classical song. The audience broke into the loudest applause of the night, even if her dad refused to pay for her music lessons afterwards.”

Natsu stumbled over a stone. “He stopped her from playing and singing because she was mad at him?” Natsu asked, horrified. He and Igneel had gotten into a few screaming matches about his attitude when he was younger, sure, but the thought that Igneel would ever deny him a part of himself, Natsu just couldn’t imagine a parent doing that.

“Pssh, as if. Nah, Lucy used the allowance she had been saving and applied for scholarships for the programs. Got in too, when she proved that her father refused to support her.” Cana brushed off, turning over the empty flask and pouting as it solidified her lack of prohibited drink.

“Oh,” Natsu said. Real smart. Cana’s telling him about a major moment in Lucy’s life and all he can say is ‘oh’. Still better than being caught by Erza though, so Natsu would take it. He looked around as they met the main path that led in a loop around camp, pale gravel reassuring as it meant he was only a few minutes away from being able to hide in his cabin for the next 48 hours.

“Shit.”

Natsu was being yanked by his scarf -again- before he could ask what Cana had seen, forced to look at the bulletin board that would house the weeks’ themes once they were released. Right now though, it held bulletins for school opportunities, programs, concerts, scholarships, and dead center; a poster for a karaoke night happening at the camp fire after sundown tomorrow.

“You two! Have you seen anyone run by here?” A voice called behind them, Natsu feeling his soul try to escape via puking and every nerve in his body fighting between ‘run for your life’ or ‘lay down and accept your fate’.

“No idea what you’re talkin’ ‘bout Erza,” Cana drawled, perfectly playing the clueless camper role. “But if you see who had just been singing tell them congrats on the record deal quality voice.”

Natsu blushed at the compliment, hands fisted tight in his pockets and struggling to concentrate on the board. There was no way she meant that. Natsu had an average level voice, at best. Now, if he could show off his guitar skills, then maybe she would tell Lucy about it...

“I will tell them that the stage is off limits territory when not during an event.” Erza snapped, obviously irritated at missing her victims. Aka, Natsu. “What are you two doing here anyway?” she asked, squinting when Natsu finally turned to look at her over his shoulder.

“Just checking out the opportunities on the board!” Natsu said, voice cracking and sending him burrowing into his scarf.

“Yeah, I was just convincing Natsu here to do karaoke night! Can't keep all this talent hidden behind a dumbass beanie!” Cana added eagerly, slinging an arm around his shoulders and somehow dislodging his ‘dumbass’ hat. Natsu squawked as he lunged for the grey beanie, too late to do anything else but clutch it to his chest.

“Damn! What bet did you lose?” Cana guffawed. Natsu shrank under her laughter and tried to elbow her arm off his shoulders. Why was she the same height as him?

“It's just my hair,” he grumbled.

“It's a good thing Lucy's favourite colour is pink then, eh?” Cana continued to tease, grinning at Erza. “But really, this can't be his actual hair colour.”

“It is.” Erza said with a small smile at Natsu. “And I think it suits him. I will see you both at campfire tonight! I'm looking forward to hearing what you choose to perform tomorrow Natsu.”

Natsu watched blankly as Erza and a girl with purply black hair and a deadly stare stalked off. “What the fuck?” Natsu hissed, shoving off Cana roughly and yanking his beanie over his head.

“Aw cmon, don't be so sensitive.” Cana rolled her eyes. “Besides, she bought it!”

“Now I have to sing at that stupid karaoke thing.” Natsu grumbled. What if there were no good songs, or if his voice cracked. Sure Natsu could sing in the shower, but he'd never actually sang in front of people.

He wanted to put his head through the cork board. Why was he acting so insecure? He was Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel Dragneel, renowned rescue helicopter pilot. He could do anything he put his mind to.

Except talk to pretty girls like Lucy apparently.

“Well, if you do manage to find the balls to get on stage, try and pick a song you know in your sleep. Or come see me for a confidence boost recipe.” Cana winked, wagging her empty bottle beside her head.

“Erm...” Natsu said, helpfully. What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

Playlist:

Stuck In The Middle - Boys Like Girls

The Anthem - Good Charlotte

Separate Songs - Restorations

Closer to the Edge - 30 Seconds To Mars

Not Ready To Make Nice -Dixie Chicks

March Into The Sun - Echosmith

#ftfanfics #nalu #gajevy #fairy tail #natsu dragneel #Gajeel Redfox #Levy McGarden #erza scarlet #dos #just any writing #not just any nobody collab #song fic #summer camp au #days of summer #these NERDS

[lil-blue-one]

The Definition of Insanity - Chapter 10

Gray had given up being sociable within ten minutes of getting on the boat. Between Natsu throwing up his guts and the other Dragon Slayers laughing at him; and the girls all squealing and gossiping he had decided he needed to get away. It was still in the back of his mind that he would absolutely need to fight these people soon, and he had to clear his head.

He tried to go down into the belly of the ship but instantly ran into a wall of runes. He couldn't even see Freed around, but knew it must have been him that put up the barrier. Fuck knows what the nerd was doing down there that needed such secrecy. Makarov was locked in the office on top of the deck with most of the S-Class wizards, excluding Laxus who refused to join them for whatever reason, which left him with one choice.

Anyone else would have been bothered by the frigid temperature of the platform that he sat on, but being an ice wizard came in handy from time to time. It was on the back of the boat, far enough down that anyone looking over the side would have to lean over and stare straight down in order to see him. He took off his shoes and dangled his feet in the water, allowing the current to flow past him and cool his body down even further. Juvia was off somewhere doing… who knows what. Probably still talking to the girls up top. He would never admit it, but he kind of missed her. He would love to be spending this time on tactics, but it appeared that the water wizard had other ideas.

"Gray-sama?"

Gray was shocked out of his thoughts by a quiet voice, and lay back on the ice to look up at the person who had shouted his name. The first thing that he saw was soft blue hair falling in waves over the wood and a smile on her face.

"'Sup, Juvia."

Juvia waved down at him, and before she even spoke he knew he would be heading back up to her and talking to everyone else on the boat, just like she would want him. Well, at least he could possibly find something out that could help him. He allowed his platform on the back of the boat to grow, raising him up until he could stand on two feet and step back onto the boat. Juvia grabbed him up into a hug almost instantly, and he buried his nose into her hair.

"Do you at least realise you have me wrapped around your little finger?"

Juvia giggled into his chest, before pulling him away and back to the main body of the ship. It had started to heat up again the closer they got to the island, and he found himself stripping off more and more of his clothes as he went along, starting to think that this was definitely a disadvantage for the both of them. An ice wizard and a water mage fighting in blaring hot sunlight? How could that be called fair, in any sense of the word?

"Could you stay still for two fucking seconds?"

Gajeel groaned as Bickslow spun on the edge of the ship, folding his body in half so his hands clasped onto the railing before kicking his legs up backwards and over his head. He stayed upside down for a while, before he twisted on his hands and stared at Gajeel, his cape dropping down over the edge of the boat as his tongue lolled out of his mouth. The Dragon Slayer wasn't suffering from motion sickness right now, but watching the Sieth's constant motions in this heat was still insufferable. The man had retrieved a large bag full of creepy wooden dolls from the hold of the ship almost as soon as they had set off, handing it to Lisanna who had sighed but ultimately took it without any further protest so Bickslow could perform his show.

"What's the matter there, Rust Bucket? Worried in case I fall in?"

Bickslow shifted his body at an almost impossible angle so he was lying almost parallel to the water below before flexing his arms and bringing himself back up, just to prove that he could. A lot of things Bickslow did seemed to be just to prove that he could.

"I will be honest, never took you for a concerned type."

Gajeel groaned as he narrowed his eyes at the other man, noting the bright green glow that came from inside his mask. He was enjoying this far too much. The Dragon Slayer had already removed his shirt and changed his trousers for some swimming shorts that he had thankfully had the presence of mind to bring with him, but it was still getting more and more sweltering the closer he got to the island. How Bickslow was surviving in his normal, ridiculous clothing he would never know.

"Or maybe you're jealous that you don't have this kind of control over yourself? All of those muscles, they don't do you much for acrobatics, do they? Are you too heavy?"

The Sieth remained staring him in the eye as he lifted one arm up slowly, supporting himself solely on his left arm as he flipped the Dragon Slayer the bird, and Gajeel pretended not to notice Lisanna giggling behind him. He bit back a growl and made a quick decision, watching Bickslow as he swung himself around on the one hand. The guy could practically fly, right? Surely he was just testing either how good his balance was or how quickly he could get his babies underneath him, he was helping with training! The totems were currently just flying around the ship, annoying everyone they could. If he had to justify it to anyone he could always say he was helping out the whole ship.

He waited until Bickslow had started to lower himself down to lay perpendicular to the waves again, timing it perfectly to where he would have the least balance and shooting his right hand out, a long pillar of iron forming out of his arm to hit the Sieth square in the back. To his credit he managed to hold still for a few seconds, wobbling slightly and Gajeel thought he would be able to right himself before his elbow gave way and he fell off the side of the ship.

What the Dragon Slayer hadn't expected was that the high pitched shriek that erupted from the Sieth's mouth as he flailed into the water. The Dragon warned him of someone charging up from behind and he spun to the side, arms up to defend himself when he realized it was Lisanna rushing to the railing to look overboard.

"What the hell happened?!"

Laxus' shouts almost deafened Gajeel, and he had to fight to stop his hands covering his ears. The other Dragon Slayer was by Lisanna's side, pulling his shirt over his head as electricity started to spark off his skin. He was halfway over the railing before Evergreen grabbed him and pulled him back onto the ship. He sent daggers her way, and when she spoke it was with a calming cadence Gajeel had never heard from her.

"If you go in there right now you'll electrocute him. We need…"

She was cut off by Freed almost appearing by her side. He was moving remarkably fast as he burst out of the ship's hold, sprinting for the edge. He'd already shucked his coat, and he paused a moment at the rail as he tied his hair back.

"He was screwin' around on the rail an' I knocked his ass in the water. He should thank me, it's fucking hot up here!"

The Rune Mage's glare startled Gajeel a little, his right eye shifting colors in anger.

"He can't fucking swim!"

All of his anger melted away immediately at the other man's words flying back to him as Freed leapt from the ship after his teammate. Lisanna immediately dove after him, her legs becoming a tail as she shifted to her mermaid form. Gajeel stepped forward to move to the rail, but his momentum was immediately reversed, a shock going through his body.

"Hey, watch it!"

Natsu yelled as he pulled himself from his nausea to grab onto Lucy, shoving her out of the way moments before Gajeel slammed into him, Elfman seamlessly sidestepping as the two of them tumbled to the ground. The Iron Dragon Slayer growled as he pushed himself up, glaring across the deck at the blonde standing where he'd just been. Laxus' sides were heaving, sparks flickering across his skin, leaping between him and any metal within a few feet of him.

By this point everyone on the boat had appeared, either to offer help or watch the spectacle. Bickslow's totems had descended into unholy screaming, zipping around the ship in random directions as Mira tried desperately to round them up, shoving them into the hands of the other guild members to try and wrestle to keep them still. Gajeel could see Levy's hand at the ready beside her, charging up a protection spell. When she spoke her voice was quiet, the kind you would use to talk down someone on the edge of a tall building.

"Hey, Laxus, maybe we should calm…"

"You tell me why I should FUCKING calm down."

Lucy grasped onto Natsu's top as she watched the blonde man crowd over to Gajeel, sparks multiplying as he raised his voice. She hadn't ever seen him like this, helplessness transforming into pure rage on what had happened to the Raijinshuu. She had always assumed Laxus didn't have a weakness like the other Dragon Slayers, but now she was seeing that he had three.

Freed had no chance to keep up with Lisanna as she powered downwards through the water towards Bickslow. The man in question was flailing in complete panic, arms and legs moving completely independently of each other as he tried to claw himself back up, the water around him illuminated a bright green as his magic raged out of control. His clothes had soaked through with water now Freed had lifted the protective runes on them, and they were dragging him further and further down into the depths.

He grabbed onto Lisanna like a lifeline as soon as she pulled level with him. She wrestled with him for a moment, trying to drag him up before realising his struggling and waterlogged clothes were making it too difficult for her. She flashed a worried look over to Freed as he caught up to him and Freed responded with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Bickslow was still struggling, pulling Lisanna further and further down with each kick as he tried to get up to the surface in his panic.

The first thing to do was to deal with his magic. If he took the two of them over down here they would all be dead. Freed drew a quick rune across Bickslow's skin, making sure to channel it onto him solely as Lisanna unclasped his cape and let it bloom down through the water. As soon as she saw the light in the water dim down she unclasped his mask, pulling it away from his face and letting it plummet down.

Glancing up above her and weighing her options she knew she had no chance of getting back to the surface with even one of the men beside her, let alone both of them. Freed wouldn't be able to get up there on his own, they were too far down even though they had stopped sinking any further into the water. Bickslow was clasped onto the skin of her back, although at least he had stopped flailing around and Lisanna looked at Freed and pointed to her neck to indicate their need to breathe. She hoped beyond hope he had a rune to help with that.

Freed's face flashed in recognition, his hair floating up behind him and clothes billowing out from him as he moved his hand through the water with a purpose. The rune trap appeared quickly between them, and Bickslow spluttered as he took his first breath of air. He looked between the two of them gratefully, before Lisanna beckoned Freed closer to her side.

"I can't move the trap, I'm afraid. I can make it movable but it'll take a while and the ship will probably be at the island by then."

Bickslow whimpered, the idea of spending that much time underwater really didn't appeal. Lisanna looked down at where he was clinging to her and carded her hand through wet hair.

"Come on. Take a deep breath, I'm gonna try and get you both back up. You may need to… grab onto me."

Bickslow simply nodded, too afraid to even try to talk right now before filling his lungs with air. Both men wrapped arms around her waist and chest, Lisanna supporting them with arms under their shoulders before starting to pump her tail to shoot them up towards the surface as Freed kicked his legs in an attempt to help her out, if only a little. She felt Bickslow squeeze her tighter as they left the relative safety of the rune trap and reentered the cold water above them.

Her arms let go of the men as they neared the surface, prompting Freed to look at her in confusion as Bickslow simply buried his face in her side. The magic started to wrap around her arms even as she was still submerged, but waited until her shoulders were up and out of the water before they sprouted feathers and she was seamlessly in the air, and heading towards the ship which had by now floated a few hundred metres away.

Bickslow started coughing as soon as they got out of the water, but when Lisanna dropped them onto the deck he rose onto all fours and spluttered salt water onto the deck. His babies all screamed excitedly, and no one holding them had any chance of keeping them still as they all struggled to return to their Papa. Freed started to strip out of his wet clothes, debating whether or not he should waste any magic on drying them off with runes as Laxus ran over to the two of them, barely containing the worry that was etched on his face. Bickslow took a few deep shuddering breaths before looking up at Freed, and Lisanna watched as they had a fast unspoken conversation. Lily and Wendy hovered above them, the girl knowing that as soon as she landed she would be useless. Bickslow waved her away with one hand, assuring her that he could see to it himself.

Gajeel had tried to follow Laxus, the Dragon inside of him refusing to back down from the challenge that had been posed to him by the Lightning Dragon Slayer, but he was quickly interrupted by Juvia standing in his path, chest puffed out as she squared up to him. His Dragon noted an old friend, before he began to feel heavy rain drops fall across his skin. He watched in the background as Lily landed on the ship, instinctively covering his ears from the Thunder he expected to follow the sudden rain storm.

"What the fuck was Gajeel thinking?"

Her hands shoved at his chest before Gray grabbed her bicep to try and calm her down. Gajeel looked down at her and was torn between the pride he felt that she felt strong enough to square up to him and the anger that she had turned against him for a sin he was sure he hadn't committed. He opened his mouth to respond before he felt the familiar feeling of his stomach turning and he fell to his knees as his motion sickness overtook him.

He looked up to try and spot Levy despite the way his stomach was threatening to release its contents any second, and finally saw her stood at the other end of the ship, hand still raised from where she had dispelled the magic that had been helping him. The most obvious thing that he could see was the green glow that was surrounding her as she looked blankly off over the railing of the ship.

Erza watched as Levy stood perfectly still at the side of the ship before sighing and making her way over to where Bickslow still lay on the ground, grinning as he watched Gajeel groan in pain as he clutched his stomach.

"Bickslow… let her go."

The Sieth groaned, rolling onto his back and looking up at the woman.

"But why? He pushed me off a fucking boat. I'm not hurting her, and all she's gonna do is immediately help him out again."

"What do you expect? It's not like Gajeel has ever had any kind of impulse control."

Freed's voice was filled with sarcasm, and Erza was just about to open her mouth to keep arguing with him, but Gray appeared by her side and looked down at the Seith for the first time since he had gotten back on the ship.

"Where's your mask gone?"

Bickslow rolled his eyes, pulling his hands up to interlink behind his head as he looked up at Gray.

"As it turns out, a huge metal mask appears to be some kind of dead weight when you're being dragged underwater."

Gray sighed, Juvia rubbing his arm now she had calmed down slightly and the rain had stopped completely. She looked down at him, voice questioning him in a way that made it almost impossible for him to refuse to answer.

"Did Bickslow not bring a spare one?"

Bickslow sighed, flexing his abs to sit up and cross his legs in front of him, before pulling off his shirt and dropping it into a pile next to him.

"Surprisingly, I didn't expect to be pushed off a fucking boat. Why is no one getting that?"

Gray rolled his eyes back at Bickslow, trying to ignore the constant heaving noises that were now erupting from two Dragon Slayers at the same time.

"You can't do the trials without your mask, you'll just be taking everyone over all the fucking time! It's not fair!"

Gray wasn't expecting Lisanna to get in his face, squaring up against him as she stared at him in challenge.

"You do know that his eyes are a part of his magic too, right Gray? Shall we forbid Juvia from making it rain to get stronger too, hm?"

Juvia narrowed her eyes, and storm clouds started to roll in again. Lisanna looked back at her, eyes full of challenge as she made sure to defend Bickslow even if he didn't defend himself.

"That's enough!"

All movement on the boat stopped as Makarov's voice ran out, and everyone turned in sync as they looked towards him standing next to the wheel of the boat.

"Leave all of your fighting until we're on the island. We will be there in less than half an hour, if you children can keep it together for that long."

Everyone looked down in embarrassment, but Makarov hadn't finished.

"Bickslow, release Levy from your control. I will agree that your eyes class as a part of your magic and I won't forbid you from using them, if you don't want to."

Bickslow sighed, and in seconds Levy had dropped slightly, shaking her head in confusion as she tried to clear her mind.

"Gajeel, please refrain from pushing anymore of your guild members off the boat."

Gajeel simply groaned in response, incapable of articulating any further around the pain in his stomach as Levy rushed to his side and hurried to recast her spell. Makarov nodded, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at all of his children.

"Thirty. Minutes. Can you all play nicely until then?"

Everyone drifted off into their own respective corners of the boat, waiting for their arrival on Tenrou Island before they got started on the trials properly.

A hushed silence fell over the boat as the distinctive outline of Tenrou Island appeared over the horizon. Every single person on the boat was remembering what had happened the last time they had been there, and none of them were able to joke around about anything with that memory in their head. Once again the boat stopped a fair distance away from the island, the first trial actually getting to the island of their own volition.

"S-Class Nominees!"

Makarov had expected everyone to turn around to face him, but they were all still enraptured by the sight of the island in front of them. He couldn't blame them, really. No matter how many times he saw the island it still held a certain hypnotic quality about it.

"Every single one of us on this boat has been here before so I won't bore you with any preamble. If our current S-Class wizards could please make their way to the island?"

A wave of magical energy swept across the boat as all four of the S Class wizards took to the air. Mira's black wings unfurled from her back as she picked up Gildarts, and without another word they flew off towards the island. Laxus took one last look at his Thunder Legion, nodded to each of them before jumping into the air, his entire body turning into lightning as he overtook the two other S-Class wizards and bolted towards the island. Erza's body swirled with magic as she requipped into her Black Wing Armour, and followed the other three off the boat and towards the island. Everyone watched them go, collectively holding their breaths when they realised that four teams would have to fight them in the near future.

"The rules of the first round are slightly different this year."

Makarov's voice rang clear across the boat, as every member still present turned to look at him.

"The goal is to meet me at the base camp which is located in the same place as last year. This year there are nine paths. Two combat paths, four intense combat paths and finally one serenity route. Two teams will face each other, four teams will face one of our S-Class wizards and the final team will be allowed to pass without challenge."

Everyone nodded to each other, this was all very much the same as it had been the year before. The teams all gravitated towards the side of the boat closest to the island, each of them wanting even the small advantage a quick escape would supply.

"Without further ado, I would like to start this year's S-Class Trials!"

The first person to move was Natsu, already excited to get out of the boat and into the cool water beneath, hoping that it was going to relieve the churning in his stomach as quickly as possible. Grabbing onto Lucy he sprinted towards the edge of the ship, regretting it almost instantly as he ran straight into a barrier of runes.

"Oh for fuck's…"

Everyone spun around to look at Freed, smirking over at all of them before he swished his hand through the air and his eye flashed darkly as two runes flew from it. His wings unfurled from his back and he took to the air, with Cana following not long after on her own just as magnificent set of wings. She lurched a little bit as she tried to adjust to them, but quickly caught up with Freed as she got the hang of it.

Gajeel looked at Levy at almost exactly the same time as Elfman looked at Evergreen, and the two women immediately started to rewrite the runes. Lisanna sidled over to Bickslow, looking at him expectantly as he hoisted his bag of dolls over his shoulder.

"Hey, Bicks, did you want to start rewriting the runes?"

Bickslow looked down at her in confusion as his totems chattered in excitement around him.

"What makes you think that I would know how to rewrite the runes?"

Lisanna looked at him incredulously, as Levy broke through the runes and she jumped into the ocean below along with Gajeel and they started quickly heading towards the island.

"You're on a team with Freed just like Evergreen! You should know how to rewrite these runes like she does!"

Bickslow shrugged, sitting back down on one of the loungers while the others all swore about Freed's runes again.

"Just because I'm on a team with Freed doesn't mean I know how to do all of this bullshit."

Lisanna stood over him, crossing her arms as he rolled his eyes up at her.

"You knew he was going to do this, he did exactly the same fucking thing last year, why didn't you brush up on how to undo these!?"

Bickslow sighed, rolling his head back to look up into the sky as all of the totems huffed in annoyance around the two of them.

"I mean, you knew he was going to do this why didn't you learn how to rewrite them?"

Lisanna took a deep breath, about to start shouting at him before Gray threw his trousers at her in annoyance.

"Can you two just shut the fuck up? We're all in the same boat as you, literally, and you are just making this worse!"

Lisanna huffed, throwing herself down heavily onto Bickslow's lap and only protesting slightly when he wound his arms around her waist and tugged her down to lie more completely on top of him.

It was ten minutes later when the runes disappeared with a pop from around the boat, and there was a mad rush to get off the boat and head to the island. Natsu pulled Lucy off the railing where he had been pacing impatiently waiting for the runes to fall. The girl screamed as they hit the cold water, but was swimming towards the shore within seconds. Gray and Juvia followed not soon after, a bubble of water erupting around the two of them as Juvia started to power them both towards the island. Bickslow jumped onto his totems, the five small dolls screaming in excitement as Lisanna transformed her arms into wings and followed after him, the totems getting louder as they noticed they were being followed by others as well. Pantherlily took to the air about the same time, carrying Wendy over the waves and speeding up as they hoped to not be the last team onto the island and getting lumped with whatever the last path left open to them was.

Makarov smiled as he watched the last of the teams hit the shore, each running into their own path. He knew which path led where, of course, and he knew that the first round of the trials was shaping up to be the most exciting yet.

A/N Here comes the trials! As always, we love hearing your thoughts and theories on the chapters! Much loves!

Fanfiction.net - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12459916/10/The-Definition-of-Insanity

Archive - http://archiveofourown.org/works/10706709/chapters/25286475

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