2 Chapter 2
Ding!
Lucy moaned in exhaustion as she tried to drag herself out of her bed and over to her laptop. "Just let me sleep," she whined, dropping into her desk's chair. She blinked blearily at the suddenly awakened screen, pretending she didn't see the dozens of abandoned papers that littered her desk, full of the notes she'd taken. She'd managed to go through everything on the site the night before, and she was proud of herself. She even had a page full of questions for Mirajane when they met up.
Hm...I need to make arrangements to travel to Magnolia…
It turned out that her publisher wanted at least some sort of idea by the end of the week, and Lucy smirked to herself before replying that she might have an outline to her by then and that she was heading out of Crocus to do some researching. Then Lucy yawned, grabbing her laptop and making her way into the next room, where she clicked on the news, a morning thing she did out of habit. Mostly because it had kept her from being spotted in the country she was originally from.
She went to retrieve some coffee, listening as she did so. But there was nothing good so far as she could hear, and disappointment made her sigh as she added just a dab of sugar before returning to her laptop, sitting on the couch and setting her mug on the coffee table. She opened her laptop, situated herself comfortably, and then went to work on seeing when flights to Magnolia happened.
Within the next hour, Lucy had purchased a plane ticket that meant she'd be leaving for the town tomorrow, not even bothered by how soon she was going. She'd looked into Magnolia briefly the night before, and was glad to see that it was a relatively decent location for her book as well. She'd even managed to rent herself a car for the five days she'd be staying there!
Next on her list was to alert Mirajane. So she did just that.
To: mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com
From: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
Mirajane!
Letting you know I've recently purchased a plane ticket and should be arriving in Magnolia tomorrow afternoon...don't worry if you're unable to meet with me then, though. I'll be in Magnolia for five days not including tomorrow or the day I return home. Let me know when you're available and we can get together!
~Layla
Lucy reached for her mug of coffee after sending the message, sipping happily at it and enjoying the way it seemed to wake her up. She adored both tea and coffee - tea more than coffee, though the second drink was the only one to wake her up in the mornings. Thank the heavens for caffeine, she mused to herself - just as her laptop alerted her that she had a new message.
The chat she'd used with Mirajane the night before had popped up.
mira: Hello, Lucy! I actually have tomorrow off, so I'd be more than willing to meet with you tomorrow. I certainly didn't expect you to come so quickly, though.
layla: Yeah...sorry about that. I didn't mean to get such an early flight, but I'm excited. I haven't been to Magnolia, and I heard it's a nice town. And I'm rather eager to get started on my book.
mira: Don't worry, I understand. My friends are constantly getting overly excited, so you rushing here is actually a hell of a lot nicer than what I usually deal with. What time do you arrive?
layla: Around noon or so, I believe.
mira: How about lunch at one, then?
layla: Works for me! ;) Just tell me where and I'll find my way there.
mira: The Rozlyn Cafe. It's a place that's only a five minute walk from the airport. I'll go ahead and reserve just a table, so just ask for a table reserved under the name Strauss.
layla: I will. Thanks!
mira: No problem. :)
Lucy laughed softly as she closed her laptop, downing the rest of her tea. She had a feeling that she and Mirajane were going to be good friends. Unless she was murdered for this, then she supposed they'd be the opposite.
Lucy glanced in the direction of her room and made a face. She had to organize her notes, make sure she had no more questions, and pack. Then she'd be able to leave at the proper time rather than missing her plane, like she'd done during previous times when she'd been scheduled for signings in other towns and cities.
But first...she had to make a run to the store. Not that she wanted to, especially after nearly running over that Natsu person the day before. Something about him made her anxious, especially the way she'd been sure she'd seen smoke curling around his fingertips.
But, that couldn't stop her from going out and doing stuff.
Lucy stretched as she headed into the kitchen, abandoning her coffee mug in favor of going for her car keys and purse. She'd make a quick run to the store, grab a few things she'd need for her trip, and hope she didn't run into those strange people from the day before.
Hm...maybe Mirajane will know something about them…? Or at least about that weird mark they all had…
The trip to the store was - thankfully -relatively uneventful. Nothing strange came around her and she was grateful for that. She didn't want to deal with anything strange today. Not before her trip.
She was able to get home fairly quickly, and upon getting inside, she dropped her grocery bag onto the table. "Ah, nice and easy," she sighed happily, then glanced back at the door with a thoughtful look. Fall was out and about, giving the perfect weather for people to go out and enjoy. In the past, before Lucy had come to the country of Fiore, she hadn't been able to go out and enjoy such things. She'd either been forced to remain in a place she hated or too frightened about being recognized.
So, Lucy tucked her keys into her pocket, grabbed her phone, and made her way back outside. She smiled to herself at the breeze that whisked her blonde hair out of her face, enjoying the coolness of it. Maybe, she thought, just maybe, she could become friends with MIrajane. It'd be nice to have someone to chat with, even if it was only over the computer or phone. She'd tried to be friendly with her neighbors, who lived in the same building she did, but they weren't very eager to be friendly back.
So, for the time she'd spent in Fiore, she'd been a hermit, only talking with her editors and publisher.
Oh, and shouting at that weirdo.
Damn, for someone who was trying to pretend she hadn't been too bothered by their presence, she was thinking about them a lot...she really needed to correct her mind.
Or figure out just why they were bothering her so much.
Lucy huffed. Yeah, really need to figure that out.
The young woman crossed her arms, biting her lip unhappily as she walked along the sidewalk. Sometimes she hated the lonely life she'd created for herself. But it was a hell of a lot better than the one she would have had to remain in if she hadn't run away. And she did enjoy writing…
Lucy continued to walk, enjoying the outside breeze and letting it clear her head. "I need to do this more often," she mused aloud, feeling a lot better about a ton of things. A smile lit across her face.
And then she smelled smoke. Right before a rather large gust blew something around, smacking it right into her face.
Lucy yelped in surprise, stumbling. She pried it away, annoyed, expecting it to be a grocery bag or something disgusting that often accompanied the winds that occasionally blew through Crocus.
Instead, she was confronted by a scarf...one she recognized instantly as the one that had been wrapped around that Natsu guy's neck. Lucy stared at it, her fingers running over the weird scale-like texture and grudgingly admitted to herself that it was soft, and still warm.
How it had ended up in her hands, however, confused the hell out of her. Hesitant, Lucy scanned the area around her for that strange pink-haired man, but found nobody. She carefully folded the scarf, pressing her lips into a hard line. So those three strange people were still hanging around?
She searched for the source of smoke but found none and gave a shrug before turning to head home, the scarf still clasped in her hands. She'd keep it for now, and if she saw the weird person again, she'd return it, simple as that.
It took her minutes to get home, and when she did, she gently placed the scarf on her coffee table and went to haul her suitcase out of its hiding hole. As she was dragging it to her living room - there was more room there, and she could carry chosen clothes out of her room to sort through there - her laptop gave off a soft sound, alerting her that she'd gotten a message.
Swiping her hands, Lucy abandoned the suitcase in favor of going to check the message.
To: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
From: levymcgarden . fairytail .magesoffiore . com
Hello!
Sorry to disturb you, but my name's Levy. I recognized your name and wanted to say hello, along with alerting you that I'm eagerly awaiting your next book! :)
~Levy
Lucy couldn't help but smile and laugh at the message. So this was one of the many adoring fans she had, hm? She liked her already. Too bad her time was almost up on the site...she wouldn't have minded chatting with Levy. Still, Lucy hurried to reply. She still had a few hours. She could surely message Levy while packing...right?
To: levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com
From: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
Hello, Levy.
I'm glad that you're excited for my next novel! I'm currently working at the next book as quickly as I can despite my last being released only a few weeks ago. I'm eager to get to work on it. I'm thinking of producing my first series out of it, actually. What do you think?
Layla
Lucy paused, wrinkling her nose. Maybe she should have her publisher see if she could set up a surprise signing on a day she was in Magnolia…? It'd be fun, and it wouldn't be as crazed as a scheduled signing…
She was half-way through sending the suggestion to her publisher when Levy responded.
To: laylacor . magesoffiore . com.
From: levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com
That would be amazing! You'd definitely get a lot of fans excited if you did such a thing, me included! May I ask what they might be about? Sorry if that's too much, I'm excited. :)
~Levy
To: levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com
From: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
Not at all, Levy! I'm considering the idea of magic for this next book (quite possibly series). Perhaps in another universe of my own creation.
Layla
Lucy expected a response almost immediately, but when it didn't come, she was surprised. So she gave it a few minutes, then shrugged and went back to packing, carefully tucking away a few articles of clothing, toiletries, and even books into the suitcase. She refused to go anywhere without at least a few books. One would go into her carry on, too. Flights were boring, after all. She moved to zip the suitcase shut, then paused, glancing over her shoulder at the scarf. It sat there on her coffee table, gleaming innocently in the light. So, with a sigh, she packed it, too. Who knows, maybe she'd see that weirdo there and be able to return it to him…
Damn, she was obsessed. How embarrassing.
Ding!
Ah, there was the message she'd been expecting! Lucy hurried back over to her computer, surveying the screen.
To: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
From: levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com
That's an interesting idea. Magic is always fun to read about...may I ask where you got the idea from? And what kind of world do you plan on creating?
~Levy
To: levymcgarden . fairtail . magesoffiore . com
From: laylacor . magesoffiore . com
I'm not sure...I'd been playing around with the idea for a while, and it just clicked yesterday. So I found this website and decided I liked the different types of magic. As for the kind of world, you'll just have to wait and see. ;)
Layla
Lucy popped her neck, swiping her blonde hair out of her face. So it was sort of a lie. She'd seen the three strangers and had been trying to find them, but nobody else needed to know that. She did a final checkover of her suitcase, then reached for the book she was currently reading. She might as well try and enjoy herself for the rest of the evening…
A pause.
It was lonely like this.
Maybe I should consider getting a dog…?
The idea made her snort. As if a dog would keep her company. She'd always wanted pets as a child, but it wasn't exactly animal companionship she was craving. She wanted human company.
Lucy set her book down, longing filling her. How long had it been since she'd had a friend? Before her mother's death, that was for sure. She could remember the happy people that used to come visit her mother, even when Layla Heartfilia had fallen ill.
They'd stopped coming after her death and soon after, her life became a living hell.
Lucy tapped her fingers on the cover of her book, resting her head back with a sigh. Why did stuff like this have to be so troublesome? It was part of the reason she enjoyed writing and reading so much...it gave her the chance to sort of experience what she was missing out on in life.
But hey. Even if a dog wasn't the company she was craving, it was better than nothing.
...maybe I really should get a dog...
You guys are freaking awesome! :D Happy early Halloween to everyone as well. Keep an eye out, I'm creating a gift as of currently for tomorrow. ;) Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows and I can't wait to see you on Monday!
Reviews:
KaUiA: I'm glad you think so! And yes, three times a week. XD Glad to see you again as usual!
Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox: Exclamation points are good though. :D
NaLu x Buckets: This plot is going to be huge, no lie. I'm glad you like it enough to see it that way though! Thank you so much!
SafireRansomePoseidonsDaughter: I was somewhat surprised to notice that not many people have used such an idea. I thought it would have been everywhere, but I'm happy it's not! More craziness from me is what it means! XD
Kinsutenekochan: It's an interesting task mixing them sometimes, let me tell you. The phones are fun to keep track of. XD
NaLuLuva23: Nope! My other account is for several other fandoms. Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Inuyasha are what's on my other account. *insert awkward cough* I've kinda wandered away from the Inuyasha and Doctor Who fanfictions there. Need to finish a few fanfics there. One of them is half a chapter away from being completed. I work on my Supernatural one, but...yeah. This is my FT account you're seeing. XD
the-clumsy-one: Of course! :D
