Fairy Tail - Tumblr Posts
@ft-platonicweek Day 4 - Silence
AO3
GET YOUR TISSUES READY, THIS IS SAD
They have only each other to rely on, to find comfort in.
CW: child abuse (mostly psychological, some physical), manipulation, dehumanization, disassociation, reliving past trauma, implied ableism, victim blaming, Jose is a piece of shit
Gajeel whump taglist: @heartonxions , @bambamnesiac , @grayseyebrowscar , @ostensiblyfunctional , @blackberry-bloody
“Easy for you t’say, he always goes easy on ya!”
“And Juvia is sorry about that, but we still cannot leave. There is nowhere for us to go!”
“Fine! Then you stay! Clean his boots while yer at it! But I'm leavin’!”
Three days it's been since Juvia last saw Gajeel. Three days since their argument.
She'd thought she'd been doing the right thing, trying to convince him not to run away. He'd been angry, nerves frayed after a bad scolding from the master. Anger never made anyone think rationally. But she must have not explained that well since trying had only further aggravated his temper.
Perhaps her fear had also influenced her judgment. Gajeel had been so confident the two of them could make do on their own. Live off of the streets, in the woods like he had done before. Just them, no Master Jose, no rules, no punishments. He thought it'd be a good plan.
Juvia had said no.
The floorboards remained quiet as the girl ascended the staircase. She had long learned which spots would creak and stepped to avoid them. The chatter from the main hall offered somewhat of a cover, but she wasn't taking any chances. She didn't want to be discovered with a bowl clenched in her hands and lose the fresh fruit she swiped from the kitchen. Her friend would be hungry.
Master had given the guild a revised story, she was sure there were details missing or twisted out of context.
‘ “The little brat thought he could run off and neglect his responsibilities. Live in the woods again like some animal. Guess the cold was too much for him to handle, cause all I had to do was wait for him to come crawling back to accept the consequences.” ’
It had been cold that night, and Gajeel hated the cold. Which was why he'd been wearing that thick jacket and scarf when they talked. That should've been enough to keep him warm. If he had returned, as the master claimed, it would've never been for a reason so trivial.
For as much as he hated the cold, Gajeel hated Master Jose even more.
‘ “I know he tried pressuring you to run away as well, Juvia. You did the right thing not listening, I'm very proud. But next time, you must come tell me. Understood?” ’
The revelation that their argument had been spied on, used as a means to punish, had dropped a rock into her stomach. Master Jose praising her should've made her feel good. No adult had ever told Juvia they were proud of her. It should've been good but instead it only made her feel sick. Master only wanted to use her against Gajeel. To hurt him. She would not do that. He was her friend.
The door to his room stood tall before her. She raised a hand and gently rapped her knuckles against the wood. “Gajeel, may Juvia come in?” she whispered.
It was enough for him to hear. Should've been enough. But only the silence met her. She knocked again, repeated her request for entry, just a tad louder. But no answer came, and a twinge of anxiety twisted in her gut while the Bad Thoughts wormed their way into her head.
Was he still mad at her?
Was he angry she didn't go with him?
Did he blame her for him getting caught?
The door thankfully wasn't locked, as she'd feared. The master often locked them in their rooms when they've been bad. Gajeel had a talent for picking them.
Juvia opened the door.
The bedroom was darker than usual, and when she looked up, part of the window had been recently bricked up. Gajeel's jacket laid on the floor, ripped and torn beyond mending. The scarf tossed aside. His bed looked untouched, empty save for a familiar misshapen bundle of wrappings.
She took a step into the room. “Gajeel?”
Still nothing.
She would've thought the room was empty until a shape caught the edge of her peripheral vision.
Her friend sat curled up far in the corner, scrunched into a tight ball. Knees clutched against his chest, face buried between them, hidden under unkempt hair. Bundled in a dark gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.
“Gajeel? Are you okay?” she asked, walking towards him.
He did not speak, didn't even move, made no sign that he acknowledged her presence. Juvia knelt down next to him. His chest rose and fell slightly, so he was still breathing. But as she listened, the more labored it sounded. Shaky. And even under the warm garment, his figure shook with faint tremors.
He didn't make a sound. Not when Juvia said his name again. Nothing to break the suffocating quiet.
A few times his stomach growled loudly and Juvia asked if he was hungry, told him she brought food. But still he didn't respond. She almost reached out to tap his shoulder but thought better of it.
‘Maybe he's asleep?’
The silence stretched. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty.
Until Juvia thought it might be best to leave. Perhaps Gajeel wanted to be alone, to not be bothered. She placed the bowl down on the floor and rose to her feet, making way to the door.
“...‘Via?”
The voice was so uncharacteristically small and hoarse. She turned around.
Gajeel's head had lifted just enough for her to see his face.
He looked awful.
A strange ring of bruises dotted his jawline and the bridge of his nose a mottled purple. The scars she always remembered seeing him with looked newly inflamed, as if he'd been scratching at them too much again. Dark circles hung under vacant, bloodshot eyes.
Juvia had never seen Gajeel cry, but now there were telltale streaks of tears down his cheeks.
“What happened?” she couldn't help but ask, even though she already knew part of that answer. What had the master done to him for him to be like this?
Gajeel lowered his gaze again and shook his head. “How long were ya here?”
So he didn't notice when she came in. Did he just realize she was even there? “A little while. Juvia tried talking to you.”
“. . .Oh.”
He didn't elaborate, so neither did she. Though part of her was a bit relieved that he hadn't intentionally been ignoring her. He wasn't mad at her.
“Why were you crying?”
At that, he rubbed his face against the heel of his hand, erasing most of the tear tracks. “I wasn't.”
“Gajeel-”
“‘M fine.”
By the small trembles that shook his figure, Juvia could easily tell the lie. Whatever the master did, it was bad. Not even the cane ever reduced him to such a state. She sighed, defeated. He never did like talking when he got hurt. She tried not to take it personally, even though she always went to him whenever something troubled her. She trusted him to listen and he would. Was he too embarrassed? Did he not trust her? Did he not know he could trust her? Perhaps she should-
“How much did ya hear?”
“Hear? You were very quiet, Juvia didn't hear you say-”
“No, I mean, from when I was . . .not here.”
Oh, he must be referring to what everyone downstairs is saying about him. He could likely hear them from up here. “Master Jose told everyone that you ran away, and that he punished you when you returned.”
He buried his face into his arms again, curling his knees in a little tighter. Once more, the silence swallowed the room for a few minutes.
“‘M sorry,” he eventually murmured. Before Juvia could question what for, he added, “for gettin’ mad at ya the other day.”
Their argument. She'd nearly forgotten. “Juvia is sorry too. She was scared, of things changing too quickly. She wasn't sure how to explain it at the time.” He seemed to understand that, something she would always be thankful for, someone who understood. As simple as that, they forgave each other. “The thought of being on our own to fend for ourselves is scary, but Juvia wishes things were better here. That people were nicer.”
“Yeah, me too. This dump is full of fuckin' assholes. Yer right though.” The sadness in his admittance worried her. “We can only trust ourselves, no one else. As shitty as this guild is, would any other place be different?”
That was something she hadn’t thought about. Had he planned to find another guild to join? She could see herself doing that, a smaller change that kept to the familiar. But Gajeel did make a good point. Would other guild's treat them any differently than Phantom Lord? No one except her appeared to bat an eye when someone left Master Jose's office with new bruises, so perhaps that was just a normal expectation. Would they even be accepted elsewhere? At least staying in Phantom meant the security of assurance, that they've already earned a place amidst the rankings. No matter the discipline and bullying, they were legal wizards with the various privileges that bought them under the law.
“Juvia, do- do ya think I'm a monster?”
Her train of thought derailed. “What? No, of course not,” she replied immediately. Why was he asking that? He was human just like she was. Of course he wasn't a-
Oh, Master Jose probably said something to him.
“You're not a monster, Gajeel.” Another tear fell, and a cold wave swept through her body as she realized she couldn't tell if he believed her or not. “May Juvia hug you?”
The question clearly caught him off guard, if the surprise in his widened eyes was anything to go by. For the several long seconds he didn't say anything, Juvia almost expected him to refuse. He'd never been too keen on being touched. That's why she always made sure to ask or to let him initiate. But something told her at this moment that he needed to be held.
So when he leaned towards her, ever so slightly, it was all the acceptance she needed, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. A safe touch. He rested his head against hers.
The two sat embraced in the silence for a long time.
-
Three nights ago
Even before he climbed out of the window of his room, Gajeel was having second thoughts. By the time the edge of Oak Town was in sight, his heart was fighting him to turn back.
Juvia should be here with him.
They were the Freaks Club, they were supposed to stick together. They should both be going. Ditching Phantom Lord and Jose and taking back their freedom. They could do whatever they wanted, be whatever they wanted. No Jose to force them to fight each other, or lock them in their rooms, or deny them food, or beat them when they did something he didn't like. No obnoxious, creepy adults making fun of how they looked or spoke.
He knew how to survive. And the two of them had powerful magic to protect themselves. They could've made it work.
Why didn't Juvia want to leave?
Sure, Jose didn't hurt her as often as he did the dragon slayer, but she still hated being there, right? All the ridicule she got for causing the rain? For her unusual manner of talking? Did she not want to be rid of that?
With each step his feet felt heavier. Until they refused to go any further.
He didn't want to leave without her, the only person he was willing to consider a friend. He couldn't leave her behind with all those assholes. Couldn't stand the thought of being all alone on the streets again.
Not after what happened last time.
Gajeel turned around.
If he returned quickly enough, maybe no one would notice his absence. Juvia wouldn't snitch on him, even if she was mad. It hadn't been that long since he left, Jose wouldn't know.
No one else would know. He would go back. He and Juvia would talk. He would apologize for snapping at her even though he hated saying sorry. Or maybe make her something with one of those recipes she gave him. They'd figure out something else.
No one else would know.
The bushes surrounding the guild hall were easy to hide in. It wasn't like a grand castle, guarded with an array of waiting archers or a moat filled with giant crocodiles. Just a simple building with stone walls that were no trouble for the iron dragon slayer to climb.
The window to his room stood dark up above. He could hear no noise coming from within. Good. That meant his escape wasn't discovered yet. He still had time.
A hope that got dashed about ten feet from the opening, when his nose caught a scent.
‘Fuck!’
He didn't get the chance to think of a new plan. To retreat back down and wait for them to leave. To think of some story to give that may save him. Because the stone beneath him liquefied.
There's not many words that can adequately describe the viscosity of dry rock. Unnatural can be one. Mud and clay at least had moisture to them. Lava was its own thing. Magic was the only thing that could make solid rock look wet and act wet but not actually be wet.
It's not a pleasant feeling having it snatch your body like a giant hand.
Gajeel yelped in alarm as a tendril of stone burst from the wall, seizing his torso and limbs like a constricting snake. Squeezing tight. Allowing no room for resistance against the threat of crushed bones. It didn't even give him a moment to breathe before bolting up, shoving the captured dragon slayer through the window and onto the floor of his own room. But even then, it did not release him yet.
The end of the tendril reshaped, reforming into a body, a face, brown suit, green hair, that stupid monocle.
“Tiens tiens, seems I've caught quite the naughty petit renard, haven't I?”
“Sol, ya creep! Get off me!”
His protests get cut off, for a light suddenly filled the room, revealing two other men. Master Jose stood in the center, face neutral but eyes glaring. Behind him, Aria stood by the door, his wide frame a blockade.
In his mind, Gajeel cursed every god he didn't believe in.
“Care to explain what you were doing out of your room?” the master began interrogating.
“I-” Fuck, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought of a cover story. No need for one if you didn’t mean to return. “I was… just takin’ a walk. I couldn't sleep.”
“A walk, is that so? After curfew, when you are strictly forbidden to leave?”
If he can hide that he almost tried to skip town, maybe he can get away with just being punished for breaking curfew. It's not like he's never done that before. “I wanted some air. It's stuffy as hell in here.” Sure, Jose will lock him in some dark, tiny closet somewhere for a day or so, but he can handle that.
“You seem to have this false belief that my rules only exist when you deem them convenient,” the man said, disappointed but not surprised by Gajeel's insolence. He should be used to it by now. “This defiance of yours is getting out of hand. Curfews are important for safety and maintaining order. Keep breaking them and I will find new ways to keep you inside.” Probably a couple days in the closet. He'll be fine. “That would've been the case if you were not lying to me.”
How-?
“I ain't lyi-”
Gajeel's iron scales were durable. He could brush off hits that downed most people. Metallicana made him spend hours honing his defenses until a strike no longer hurt, no longer did damage. His normal human skin retained a bit of that resilience, but not to the same degree.
Which is why Jose made sure to wear rings whenever he slapped him. The backhand whipped his head to the side and the room spun. The rings left harsh scratches across his cheek, not deep enough to break skin but definitely enough to sting.
“Sol, why don't you show him?”
“Bien sûr, Master.”
Still reeling from the slap, helpless to do anything but watch, Gajeel sat frozen as the stone walls morphed. Twisted and sculpted themselves into new shapes, figures, a boy with long hair and anger in his face, a girl with a furred hat looking worried. Familiar faces. A scene copying a memory not even two hours old.
And voices.
“We don't have t'stay, Juvia! We shouldn't have t'put up with their shit. We can leave and start over somewhere else.”
Incriminating voices. A perfect replica.
“The earth remembers all, petit renard.”
Gajeel's mouth felt full of lead. Nothing to say. What could he say?
Jose spoke instead. “Sol heard everything about your little runaway fantasy. Shame on you for trying to force Juvia into your scheme.”
“Miss Lockser is a respectable young lady. Polite and dutiful.” Aria sang praises Gajeel knows mean nothing. If they actually gave a shit, all the bastards who harassed her would actually face consequences. “You are a terrible influence on her.”
‘You fuckin' know nothin’. Ya only think that cause she stands up fer herself now.'
“I know all about your little nightly excursions too, the many times you sneak down to my kitchen to steal food,” Jose added. Gajeel's blood ran cold. “Is that what you thought you'd do upon running away? Stealing from people again? Did you learn nothing from the last time that got you in trouble? It's only thanks to my generosity that you're in a guild and not a prison.”
Something snapped, sending all thoughts of pretending out the door. How dare Jose bring up that memory. “Fuck you! Like yer any better! Generous my ass, y’all treat me like shit! The scraps ya give me ain't ever enough.”
“Not this again,” Jose shook his head. “Lying to make excuses for selfishness will not work.”
“And taking such foul language with the master is a big non non,” Sol added, like he did every single time he heard Gajeel swear. “Where I come from, children would have a bar of soap shoved into their mouths for talking like that.”
It was so damn frustrating. Gajeel knew he wasn't lying. Everyone seemed to believe he could just eat scrap metal and be fine but it wasn't enough. He needed real food too, but the tiny portions he was allowed always left his stomach gnawing for more. Hunger became a constant pain that refused to go away. Jose never believed him.
“I've been patient enough to tolerate those grievances, but this disrespect has crossed a line.” Jose moved his arms to his front. Gajeel expected to see the thick discipline cane the man kept in his office, hung looming on the wall. It was a tool he utilized often.
But when Gajeel saw what Jose had actually been holding, he wished it'd been the former. The blazing pyre of anger extinguished, smothered by the icy grip of dread. “Why… do you have that?”
This was not supposed to happen. Jose wasn't supposed to have that thing. He wasn't supposed to be like those other people.
“I have used various methods of disciplining you, and if tonight has shown me anything, it's that those have proved ineffective. Perhaps this will get the lesson through. Aria.”
Gajeel didn’t pay attention to what the air mage did. His vision had tunneled in on the item in Jose's hands. Not that. Anything but that.
Sol held fast until the sharp scales snaking over the boy's skin - tearing the warm fabric of the jacket - forced him to retreat. Gajeel managed one step before Jose's shadows snatched him instead. They did not falter as he writhed, kicked, pleaded for them to stop, for them to not put him in that awful thing.
But then Aria raised his arm, fingers dancing across a magic circle, and the air was sucked out of his chest.
When his eyes opened next, it was cold. And he was no longer in his room.
Stone walls, a lashing wind, and the inky black of night beyond.
He was in the Sky Prison.
With the stiff leather straps of a fucking muzzle enclosed around his face.
No.
No no nO NO NOT AGAIN!
He lurched up, a panicked roar muffled to almost nothing. His balance nearly faltered but his mind wasn't there enough to register the absence of his leg prosthetic. Jaws sealed shut. He tried to claw at it, shred it to pieces, but he could not pull his hands free of the freezing shackles bolted to the floor behind him. Could not call his magic to protect himself.
And with those two simple tools, his mind transported him elsewhere. A dark and grimy jail cell. These same restraints stealing any agency he had. The phantom pains of bleeding gashes cutting across his back and arms, placed by a sharp belt buckle. A nightmare taking shape. A memory returning to haunt.
History repeating itself.
It was cold yet sweat formed on his neck. His ears rang with his own pounding heart. He heaved down breaths of air through his nose because he couldn't open his mouth, he couldn't breathe, the muzzle wasn't even around his neck but somehow something must be choking him because it's hard to breathe. Why can't he breathe? The cold air is stinging his lungs but it must be a lie because there is no air, he isn't breathing, his throat is closed, he can't get the muzzle off, he can't breathe.
“Control yourself, Gajeel. You're acting like a rabid dog.”
Jose and Aria stood a few strides away. The lingering residue of the air mage's magic still hung in the surrounding space.
‘Take it off!’ Gajeel tried to yell through the muzzle, but anything that came out was unintelligible. He let the sound ground him back to reality. Made him aware of the air that was in fact moving in and out with the rise and fall of his chest. Or was that just the shivering? His jacket, scarf, and boots were left behind and the short sleeved shirt he wore was not a suitable wind buffer.
“It’s saddening that I have to do this, but your behavior has left me little choice,” Jose chastised, ignoring the protests of his charge. “You will be spending time up here until you prove to me you've learned your lesson.”
“Tis truly tragic, trapping one of our own up in this prison, but it is the only way you'll learn.” Aria's tears soaked his mask, Gajeel always doubted if they were genuine.
“These are the consequences of disobedience, Gajeel. You've only yourself to blame. I've sheltered you, kept you fed, protected you from the Bureau, and look how ungrateful you are. You should know there's not many people willing to put up with an animal like you as I've had.”
‘I'm not an animal I'm not an animal I'm NOT an animal!’
“What did you expect to happen once you left? Did you think you'd find people who'd want to help you? People more patient and generous than me? You'd sooner find yourself on display in a zoo.”
It couldn't be true. There had to be some who would see he's still human despite everything. People who wouldn't care about the scales on his face and shoulders, the pointed ears, the sharp fangs and claws.
Jose had to be wrong. He had to be.
“You remember Nerium, don't you?”
At that name, the boy flinched. How could he not? He could only dream of forgetting that horrible place. Where all this began. He had learned its name months after leaving, while learning the language of this country, for the sole purpose of remembering never to step foot there again.
“You remember how they treated you. They saw your draconic physicality and thought you a monster, a demon. Normal humans don't have scales or fangs. They don't growl at things they don't like or eat metal. Magic is not supposed to change a body like that. You're an anomaly, and most people do not like anomalies that aren't under control.
“That's why I brought you here. Unlike many, I can see you for what you can become. A strong wizard. One whose name can become synonymous with the strongest guild, the prestigious Phantom Lord. People won't dare to disrespect you then, no matter what they think about you. They will fear our retribution too much to even think of crossing you.
“But that only happens if you're under control. Under me, your master. Leave and there will be no one to protect you. And the only treatment you can expect is chains and a muzzle just like that. Or perhaps they'll hand you to the Bureau to be turned into a science experiment, just as those in Nerium planned. So consider this lesson a sneak peek into the so-called freedom you wish for.”
Gajeel didn’t notice the tears running down his face until he saw droplets falling to the floor. He turned away, wiping them off against his knee.
He didn't want it to be true.
But he noticed how people looked at him. At his bizarre appearance and mannerisms. The glares and raised voices whenever he got too angry, whenever he looked like he lied because he didn't like making eye contact, whenever he overheard a conversation he shouldn't have because tuning out the noise was so hard.
The people of Nerium had called a demon slayer to deal with him, as if he were a pest to exterminate. And she'd nearly done it. Turned back not due to him being a terrified child but only because he wasn't her chosen quarry.
And the Bureau again. The town's plan b before Jose showed up.
Is that really all that he is to people, some wild monster? Something to be chained and caged? Would-
Would Juvia be in danger traveling with him? If not from him, then by the people who hunt him? Would they see her being friends with a monster and think she's one too?
Gajeel turned back and the two men were gone, transported back to the Oak Town hall with Aria's magic.
All alone.
Left to his thoughts and tears in the cold, cruel silence.
Gajeel hated the silence, so he tried to fill it.
If it weren't for the muzzle, anyone within proximity to the tower would've heard the young teen screaming himself hoarse. Thrashing in his bindings until one shoulder dislocated. Carving grooves into the stone beneath him until his claws broke. But the biting winds drowned him, sapped at energy until they forced him to the floor, curled into a crumpled heap. Trying to stifle a sob.
No one could hear him. They wouldn't help even if they did.
-
Now.
Gajeel had sat beaten and bloody in Nerium’s jailhouse for less than a day before the master of Phantom Lord arrived to collect him.
Jose forced him to endure the Sky Prison for three.
The shoulder that'd been dislocated protested the pressure, but he didn't tell Juvia.
Hugs, he decided, were okay, but only if it was her. The thought of anyone seeing him so pitiful made his skin crawl, but at least he knew Juvia wouldn't judge. Wouldn't think him weak. He could think about this and not think about how humiliating it was begging the master to be released, with desperate apologies for running away.
He would not think about that.
He would not think about how he'd spent the last couple hours crying in his room, ignoring his parched throat and pleading stomach because he was too damn scared to walk down and face the other guild members.
He can hear them gossiping. Laughing about the ‘little dragon brat’ who tried to run. Who ran right on back because he couldn't handle it, even though that wasn't why he returned at all. Who got what he deserved. Several theories were flying on how he was punished and while none were accurate, they made his ears burn.
He couldn't go down there. They'd be on him like a pack of hunting dogs with an injured fox.
Gods he was hungry.
He didn't know when Juvia entered the room. Those past hours felt like a blur, an emptiness. The pain dulling to a consistent buzz and then numbness. He didn't remember when the tears began falling, didn't even notice they had until Juvia pointed it out.
What was wrong with him? He usually noticed things like that.
He pulled away from Juvia, stretching out his arms and legs to get some feeling back into them. Then took in the state of his room.
The window had been altered. It had already been only barely wide enough for him to squeeze through. But now the middle was filled in, bricked up and blocked, leaving only two small holes letting in minimal light.
No more escaping.
Aside from that, the rest of his space appeared untouched. The cloth he used to bind his chest still lay bundled at the foot of his bed. He's glad he took it off before venturing out, thinking he'd find a better one on the road. It probably would've been bad if he'd worn it the entire time in the tower.
His boots and prosthetic sat on the floor. Bracing with a hand on the wall, Gajeel slowly rose, his left leg sore but holding his weight. Following his eyes and seeing where he intended to go, Juvia stood up as well to offer assistance. Too tired to even use his magic, he accepted it.
He just wanted to lie down.
He collapsed onto the mattress as soon as they were close enough, nuzzling into the soft fabrics. His stomach growled, the emptiness like a monster's claws hacking at his insides.
“Are you hungry? Juvia brought some food.”
His ears perked up. “Ya did?”
She walked back to the corner they'd been sitting and picked up a bowl that'd gone past his notice. Several cut fruit, including a few orange slices.
The memories of getting sick from eating too much after periods of going hungry were all that stopped him from wolfing down the bowl by the handful. Juvia risked punishment by sneaking that up. He wouldn't let them go to waste. If she noticed the dried blood on his fingers, or the ripped up state of his nails, or the scabbed abrasions and dark bruises encircling his wrists, she didn't point it out.
"Did you? Did you actually run?" Juvia eventually asked. Gajeel paused, then nodded, hoping she could catch the regret in his expression. "But you came back, and Master Jose caught you?"
He can still see the man's face, that cruel smile haunting his mind whenever he thought about that night. He hoped the bastard dies slowly and rots in the deepest hells. Gajeel nodded again, and mentally prayed to be spared having to explain how he'd been punished as a result.
For once the heavens listened, for the next question Juvia presents is, "why did you come back?"
'Cause I didn't wanna be alone.'
"Cause I didn't wanna leave ya behind.” It wasn't even a lie. “If I left, ya wouldn't have anyone else fer the Freaks Club.”
And now he could never leave again. But maybe that was for the best if it wouldn't be worth it.
Y'know what! Fira has inspired me so I'm gonna talk about my second-favorite Dragon Slayer headcanon, and it goes as such:
The more stress a Dragon Slayer's body goes through, the more it dragonizes. This is a really dry way to say that I think injuries a Dragon Slayer gets will scar over with scales, and also that mental stress can have consequences that are…interesting, to say the least, from a writer's perspective.
Let me bring in my favorite punching bag, Gajeel. In my headcanon appearance for him, the scars on his right arm are replaced by patches of iron scales—rusting iron scales, depending on how old those scars are, because I think rust would be really cool and mimic how human scars fade from age, and ruddy rust blends better with human skintones than silvery iron. But I also really like the idea of him having iron spines all the way down his back, for the aesthetic. Which could have the Watsonian explanation of him potentially being so distrusting of anybody to guard him in the past, that his magic responded to his paranoia and trauma by protecting his spine from a literal backstabber. Two headcanons all wrapped up in a neat 'what if dragonization responded to human fragility by dragonizing it away' bow! :D
Fairy Tail: Gruvia Aesthetic
Acnologia’s Daughter Reader
You were the daughter of the King of Dragons – Acnologia. Being the blood of the Dragon of Apocalypse and a human made you more powerful than any Dragon Slayer known alive. You were the first Generation 0 Dragon Slayer ever.
But you didn’t act like one, you were a calm gentle soul who happened to be apart of Fairy Tail. The very Guild that revolves around family. Your father said that you took after your mother the most when it came to your personality.
You loved the Guild and all the friends that you made and you couldn’t be happier.
.
.
At least until you died.
When your father went crazy and attacked the Dragon Slayers (yourself included) and when everyone found a way to kill Acnologia, they did it. Not knowing that you would be affected as well. When, your family saw fade with your father they were horrified. They forgot that you were Acnologia’s daughter, and because you had his blood running through your veins you were being affected to.
It was a tearful affair to say goodbye to the people you cared greatly for, many crying out apologies and begs for forgiveness, even though you could never hate them and forgave them. Before you faded away completely, you said to them “until we see each other in the next life, I’ll always be with you.”
.
.
.
When you ended up in Valhalla, after earning your place from all the accomplishments you’ve done on Earthland you were a little off put by the fact that you were actually dead caught up to you. But you’ve decided to live a peaceful life.
Your father, decided to travel around Valhalla now that his head was cleared from whatever was plaguing it. While you chose to live in the woods close to some mountains, so that whenever you trained you wouldn’t bother anybody.
You never really interacted with the gods much, preferring to leave them alone since most weren’t that fond of humans (even though you were only half-human). The closest you ever got to befriending gods were the Valkyries, and they were Demigods.
So, when you heard of Ragnarok and the fact that Humanity was at risk of being wiped from existence. And when Brunhilde asked you to fight for Humanity you immediately agreed. Your family that was still alive were at risk, and you didn’t want them to lose their lives like you did. So, you were determined to make sure your living family would stay that way.
When you were called out, everyone was shocked, the Gods more so. They’ve heard of your father, The Black Dragon of Apocalypse, the Dragon King and many other Titles, they knew him as. To know that he had a daughter (with a human no less!) was a surprise.
Thor:
Thor had heard of your father; how dangerous and powerful he was. That not even the Gods wanted anything to do with him. So, even he was surprised that he was going against the daughter of the Dragon King himself. Even if the God of Thunder was a little disappointed, he didn’t get to fight Acnologia himself, but he was curious on how you would fair in a fight.
And the God wasn’t disappointed, you were a fierce fighter with powerful use of magic and intense strength that even rivalled him. You could take hits from him using Mjolnir at full strength, eating the lightning he had to make yourself stronger. There were next to no one who was on par with Thor, because of the strength he possessed. He grew bored because nobody could match him.
But you, you were different. You got stronger with every lightning attack he gave you and shrugged off the physical blows he gave.
Thor loved it.
When you decided to finish the fight, you decided to do a secret art. Putting all your magic into that single spell. Which was enough to bring the Thunder God down. Bringing Humanity, a step closer to salvation.
When Thor woke up in the infirmary some time later, he saw you sitting on another bed, with bandages wrapped around certain places, like your arms and legs.
You saw him awake and immediately asked if he was alright.
Despite fighting against each other no more than a few hours ago, you wanted to make sure if he was okay. The thought warmed his heart.
Since the two of you were stuck in the infirmary for a while, the two of you got to know each other better. It even went as far to Thor to ask you out to get a drink together.
Seeing the cute blush on your face was worth it.
Poseidon:
He didn’t think much of you at first when you came out. Even if you were the daughter of the Dragon King, you being half-human made him think that it’d be an easy win.
Wrong.
You weren’t making it easy at all! You were immune to the water attacks he sent you and you were too fast for him to strike with his trident. Even going as far to grab his weapon and snap the end of it and delivering a devastating punch to his stomach that his body created a massive crater into the ground. Knocking the air out of him and effectively knocking him out.
When he woke up in the infirmary, he was pissed as all hell. Hell bent on finding you and killing you. The Sea God couldn’t believe that you beat him! While he would admit you were powerful despite being half-human, it still grated him that a being with human blood beat him in a fight. It was a blow to his pride.
That was why he was going to find you to change all of that.
But when he did find you, it was a few days later in the evening. The moon up high into the sky, he saw you in a garden dancing on the water of a lily pond, not once sinking in. Your movements were graceful and fluid, like a calm ocean on a moonlit night.
Any thought on killing you went away as he watched you dance on the water. Your movements somewhat reminded him of a water nymph that he’s seen sometimes.
You were perfect.
LMAO why haven't I seen this before.
How do the exceeds shower? Do they use normal showers or do the dragon slayers bathe them in the sink?
The way Natsu was portrayed by not knowing what a library is annoyed me as much as anyone else. He’s literally been in them before. Because of this I think we should all believe that when Lucy rewrote the book she forgot to add that he knows what a library is, it’s for all of our well-being’s.
I’m sick of fairy tail ‘fans’ acting like this isn’t funny. It’s been an ongoing joke throughout the whole series that people break into Lucy’s house. If you have a problem with it now you better have had a problem with it when Natsu did it in one of the first episodes.
I have a head cannon that Sting is lactose intolerant but still drinks milk and eats butter and cheese because they’re white and he causes himself so much pain but still does it cuz ‘yolo’. This head cannon came to me because I’m pretty sure Michael Jones (Sting’s English VA) is lactose intolerant.
Welcome to: What random white things can Sting eat?
First item: an entire stick of light butter…
Hey, I wanna start writing about fairy tail.
I mostly wanna write about Sting so if you have any suggestions please let me know :D
Thank you for the suggestion @primeministerofsalt
A New Life
It was new, all of it.
They had lost the Grand Magic Games for the first time, Jiemma was gone, Lady Minerva was gone, the old Sabertooth was gone.
He sat in the large throne that once belonged to Jiemma, it was much too big for him and he worried. He looked at his guild mates, his friends. Many members had left after they learned that Sting wanted Sabertooth to change and most of the members who remained had very little faith.
He began to speak.
“Our guild aims to stun the heavens, row the land beneath us, silence the raging seas. That is the Sabertooth way.” His voice came out clearly and with power, “From now on not only will this guild remain powerful, we will grow more powerful with allies and friendships. If you can’t accept the changes that will be happening to this guild I recommend you leave now.” His eyes scanned the room, no one turned to the exit, “You may all continue with your days.”
After everyone left Rogue approached Sting with the exceeds. Sting let out a long sigh and shook his head.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this, man. So many people have already left. It’s gonna be a massive change and I don’t think people will like it.”
“Cheer up Sting, if they don’t like it they can leave. We’re gonna be stronger than ever with you as our leader!” His red exceed crossed his arms in triumph,
“Lectors right. Allies will only benefit us.” Red eyes met blue and Rogue gave a gentle smile. Sting gladly returned it and stood up stretching his back.
“I’ve got to do paperwork. You three want to help?” Sting began to walk to the steps that lead to his office but stopped to look at his friends responses. After a second of contemplation the trio walked up to Sting and they all went to his office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~omg I have no idea if that was out of character or not 😭 anyway I hope you liked it <3
He looks so dishevelled, I love it 😍
I love him sm 😍😍😍😍
Fandom art; part 1
First one is of Ken kenaki, I painted him with water colors. And it was the first use of my brush pens, so it is an older piece, it took up most of the page; size is medium - large
Second is Arima Yusa from my Au. Tokyo ghoul is the fandom again. I decided that he would like lose clothing and where masks around. He still doesn’t feel comfortable with the new changes going on in the world. In my Au there are major changes(Will be explained at one point), so he lives with Take Hirako. Full page size: Large
Third is also from my Au of Tokyo ghoul, this is also Arima Yusa. Like I said before a lot of changes. Too much too explain In this post. He is in a coffee shop. Either Re: or Anteiku, still don’t know Yusa’s age (which will change the story, comment if you know,) this was my favorite painting and it took a long time. Full page, size: Large
Now the Fourth……. Honestly I will just say the characters 4 OCs, 1 Kakashi, 1 Arima, 1 Kenaki, 1 kijima(don’t remember his name properly), 1 Eto/Takatsuki Sen, 1 Uta, and 1 Kate Kane (Have fun finding them)
Fifth is Tim Drake, this is a Lazarus Tim Fanart. Just for the concept itself not for a specific thing. I also decided to draw circles at the bottom, which I turned in to rocks. I did this for practice with line confidence, plus the challenge of monochromatic
Last, but not least, a close up of Tim. I actually use a piece of golden take for the choker in this.
!NOTE!
I am going to post a part two with more fanart because while posting this I drew more, and I didn’t want this post to get too long. Will post by next week