#actually the overlap between me and levi...it almost hurts me

[gifti3]

ik this is supposed to be levis time to shine but,,,,,,,,,,im literally jumping up and down in my mind, waving my hand in the air

[fivekrystalpetals]

Glen, Children of Misfortune, Juries and the Baskervilles

[When I say Glen, I am referring all Glens- past and present: Levi, Oswald, Gil and Leo. hella lot of lore is here that I wanna write about ;-; so I might divide this into different posts let’s see. Also fair warning: I might criticize Oswald’s actions-past and present- a bit, since I love looking at characters from an unbiased pov. Also, maybe some characters’ past actions in order to point to their character development so that too.]

[ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

2] Choosing a side

I remember treating Oswald as a victim of circumstances while reading the Past Arc/Jack’s Intention Arc and blaming only Jack and Levi for everything that went down,,, but now that I consider on the whole, I have to confess Oswald was also responsible for a major part in the Tragedy. His sin is… (as the catchphrase of this series goes lol) His sin is his passivity. But before Oswald, I want to talk about his successors, Gil and Leo first.

As the story goes, each one of the Glens have faced a point where they must choose a side.

For Gil, it was between Oz and Oswald, whether he wanted to continue as Oswald’s valet (to return to his past) or as Oz’s valet (to live in the present). In fact, this clash between his two sides of loyalty, one drilled into him (Retrace 38) and the other nurtured in him in a healthy manner, already came to a head in the Sablier Arc (Retrace 40).

In the beginning of the same arc, he tried to kill Alice because she was trying to “kill” his “master” and with great difficulty did he stop himself before he ended up doing something drastic. Break, though, thankfully and perhaps due to the power of his Eye of Misfortune, sees through Gil, spots the overlapping thoughts clouding his judgment and goads him into a fight.

“I am the one who seeks to use Oz Vessalius. I am doing harm to your master. Now then, will you try your hand at killing me as well?”

And… Gil actually almost goes ahead with it! He is so overwhelmed by the thoughts the Jury had fed into his mind that he can’t distinguish between friends and foes; all he could think is he had to “kill his master’s enemies.”, no free will of action in him at all. Break snaps him out of him and…. says something so significant I didn’t even realize at the time:

Is the one you need really Oz Vessalius? (…) Isn’t it time you got over being such a spoiled child?

[The “hand” here is his left hand which signifies Gil’s oath to his old Master, Raven and consequently, his past.]

Isn’t it time you got over being such a spoiled child… (Retrace 87)

Or else, you really will end up hurting what’s precious to you by your own hand. (Retrace 69)

(His left hand. Oswald uses his left hand to cast Lacie into the Abyss. I just…. *screams*)

Like I explained in Part 1, if Gil was continued to be raised in the Baskerville household, when he comes of age and becomes the next Glen, in spite of feeling massively guilty, he’d end up casting Vincent into the Abyss because that’s the rule, because he won’t think for himself if that’s indeed what he wanted, because he'd still be obedient to the previous Glen and Jury even after becoming the most powerful head of the household. That’s just how the Glens are.

However, this changed in Retrace 78, when Gil goes up against Oswald and the Baskervilles for Oz.

Gil quite literally cuts off his left arm to NOT “hurt what’s precious to him by his own hand"—he cuts off his connection to his past and his old master and refuses to side with him anymore. He stops being an obedient valet and stands up for Oz, as a friend, of his own accord because that’s what he really wants. He even freely calls him Oz, something he’d been struggling all along as he’d been raised to address his master as such.

His entire character development stemmed from Oz’s positive influence on him. From the beginning, Oz didn’t want a valet or a servant, but a friend by his side. He wanted Gil to be his equal. He always asked Gil to call him by his name and not address him as Master.

[And, ofc, a special mention to Break who had been continually warning him against his obsessive loyalty and pushing him to think for himself.

(He advises him here in Retrace 40; yes, but also he's been doing that since long ago, even before Oz resurfaced from the Abyss (Retrace 13.)):

Believe whatever you want. Regardless of what people say, I— Let me give you a piece of advice. A loyalty that holds fast will become a blade and will someday pierce those you hold dear.

And, Gil, the edgy rebellious teenager that he was at the time, doesn't understand Break at all lol]

Well, all of this contributes to Gil switching sides to save Oz from getting executed and not blindly following Glen on, or rather, in spite of regaining all his misplaced memories. He decides to cut off his left hand, erase the binding oath and make another, this time, legal contract with Raven—and this is so important—all of his own volition.

That ends his passivity and lack of free will. (And Break, like a proud dad, “has stopped fretting about him.” LOL)

.

For Leo, it was this point (Retrace 63):

Yes, chances are that Elliot won’t have believed what Leo said since neither he nor any of the kids at Fianna's house remembers any of the incidents involving Humpty-Dumpty or its contract thanks to its nature of memory deletion/alteration. Still, the fact that Leo didn’t tell him the truth about what had been done to him (Leo feeding him the chain’s blood and unwittingly making him an illegal contractor) or about Isla Yura (Selfishness is a recurring theme in the story; I wanna go into that later but here too—) could be taken as Leo’s “selfishness” to keep his friend alive in spite of him getting fatally injured. Even that aside, it was really his “inaction at the time of crisis” that eventually led Elliot to suffer from an even more painful death.

Yet, he blames the Intention of the Abyss for his actions.

(At this point of the story, Leo is still “an immature brat”; on a side note: remember Break who realized it was his own fault, and not the Intention’s, for forcing her to change the past and bringing a more horrifying fate on the Sinclair family? Yeah, Break is one of the most mature characters in the story and having regretted and learnt from his mistakes, he tries to pass on his experience to the kids so that they won’t repeat his mistakes.)

Before long, Leo does get over being “a spoiled child” and realizes that he had to accept his mistakes and take responsibility before things went from bad to worse. In Retrace 99, he faces the dilemma of choosing a side: stay a bystander and let Oswald go on to his end or stand up and act for what he wants.

And then, for what might be the most selfless reasons of all, Leo decides to not change the past.

Just like Oz-Gil—Leo, who always tried to dig into the world of books because his own real world was unbearable for him, was pulled out of it by Elliot by wanting to be his friend and not his master. Elliot didn’t want an obedient, servile yes-man but a friend who could stand by him yet scold him for his mistakes. “It’s the duty of a valet to correct his master’s actions.”

And so, for Elliot and for the sake of those memories where they met albeit for a short while, those memories being so precious to him that he doesn’t want them to be erased with the alteration of the past, he finally decides to stop being a bystander and confronts Oswald.

[Special shoutout to Break!— because once again it were his last words that helped influence his decision:

…That you’ll never find your future in the past… try as you might to reach back into it!!

Break just keeps tossing around good advice for everyone, even people whom he was not even addressing. Those words were meant for Vince, not Leo; yet Leo too benefits from them agfhsjhahaha]

I know Levi calls his reason “selfish” as well (considering he chooses this for fulfilling a personal desire) but to me, it’s not so. Had he stayed quiet and “passive”, and let Oswald change the past for his split second of thought process—"If I were not Glen, Elliot won’t have to die"—that'd be pretty selfish of him.

And, with that, Leo chooses a side he wants to fight for, no matter how painful his choice is and ends his “passivity”.

.

On the other hand, in Break's and Rufus Barma's words, Oswald never stopped being "a spoiled child" and over and over, keeps "hurting what's precious to him by his own hand". Even after his return to the world in Leo's body, his immediate decision is to kill Lacie to "set things right." Again.

Plus, Oswald did not have such a friend who cared about him unconditionally and wanted to be on equal footing.

Or, well, he did but he cast her into the Abyss and that’s where everything started to go wrong for him.... 

[ Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ]

[kaqeyamas]

♡ —  folklore plots.

okay so, i just wanted to take a moment to make sure it’s known that these plots aren’t direct interpretations of the songs on taylor’s new album. they’re just ideas that i came up with based on little pieces of each song, or while listening to it!

The 1

give me a plot where muse a & muse b are exes. their relationship was actually pretty decent, despite muse b never showing enough attention or affection, hence why even after a year or two of being separated, muse a is still hung up on the other, and kind of searching for them in every new relationship and behind every corner. they were convinced they were the one, and seeing them again certainly hasn’t made that feeling go away at all??

Cardigan 

“but i know you, dancing in your levi’s, drunk under a streetlight” and i’m just picturing this pair of friends who have always kind of gotten into trouble, who were absolutely the type in high school to sneak out to get drunk and wander around town together, whether it lead to drunkenly adventuring the sidewalks of random streets in town, drinking and dancing along the way, or finding themselves at the local lake with half a bottle as they talk about everything and anything under the moon. they were literally like... night owls and that’s when their friendship really existed?? and maybe as adults, they haven’t seen each other in ages and when they do all of these old memories come back like “wow i was never that happy with anyone else??”

The Last Great American Dynasty 

toxic toxic toxic. these two bring out the absolute worst in one another, but one thing is certain -- the only way they were ever going to escape was if one of them died. muse a comes from money, and lives as such. expensive drinks, and infidelity. muse b is made into a monster in the town’s eyes, because they know of their partner’s cheating and they’re rightfully angry and upset, but they stick it out, because the money is too good to pass up on. it’s messy, and they’re constantly fighting, but when things are good? they’re so good. almost good enough to forget the bad. 

Exile 

muse a was growing restless in a relationship that felt like it was going nowhere, and muse b was oblivious to it, until it was too late. now muse a has a new partner, and muse b can’t stand it. but neither of them can truly shake the idea that they’re meant to be together -- muse b just needs to do something about it.

My Tears Ricochet 

i’m just not writing this one out because i honestly can’t think of anything that’s not super toxic, and that’s not my cup of tea. (TLGAD already is pushing it; sorry y’all!)

Mirrorball 

muse a has never truly felt like they fit in anywhere, until muse b shows up. they aren’t exactly sure what it is about them, but just being around them makes muse a want to be somebody completely new. whoever muse b would be interested in. making jokes to get noticed. wearing flashy outfits to keep their attention. but, at the end of the day, muse b thinks they’re perfect just as they are. this has super soft vibes and i’ll accept nothing less. 

Seven 

picture this -- they’re seven years old, and next door neighbors. fighting off monsters and building forts in their living rooms. their parents think they’re going to end up getting married when they’re older, and that probably would have been true, if muse b hadn’t switched schools senior year. fast forward ten years, and they run into muse a in their home town and every good memory comes flooding back because best friend love never dies.

August 

this is nothing more than a summer fling. (or is it??) muse a and muse b get to spend three months together, wrapped in the sheets and enjoying the sunshine together. making memories and ignoring the reality that they couldn’t last once the season ended (maybe one of them had to go back home in august) but they made those three months count in every moment. smiles and love songs and fall came in and stole it all away. (make it angstier by saying this fling only happened because muse b had broken up with their significant other before the fling started but by august, they want them back, leaving muse a heartbroken)

This is Me Trying 

muse a and muse b were head over heels. madly in love, and destined for it all. the big house, the happy family, wedding bells and all. until one drunken night, muse b makes the mistake of cheating on their partner. but they know they fucked up, and they’re not about to let the worst mistake they’ve ever made ruin the best thing in their life. they won’t go down without a fight, and if it takes apologizing for the rest of their life, they’d do it, just to get muse a back. lots of angst, and super sad. honestly?? i want this to make me cry.

Illicit Affairs 

make my whole life and give me a cheating plot. but not the kind of cheating plot that’s built on toxicity and mindless decisions!!! muse a is married and unhappy with somebody that doesn’t treat them right. maybe it’s abusive, maybe it’s just empty and the passion isn’t there? cue muse b, who lives down the street and has always made a point to wave and smile when they spot muse a outside, and their friendship builds to the point of sleeping together on accident. but it’s not a one time thing, or meaningless. they fall into bed because when they’re together, it’s the first time muse a has felt alive in ages, and suddenly they’re in a whirlwind romance, sneaking around to hook up and share little moments together. muse a feels guilty and shameful, muse b hates putting them in this position but is too attached to stop, and they both know that muse a’s marriage is going to implode if they get caught. -- but that’s not enough for them to give up. (make it interesting -- let them get caught?? END THE MARRIAGE!! give me angst.)

Invisible String 

you guessed it. this is a soul mates plot, and i’m not even sorry. muse a and muse b have never truly met, but their lives have always overlapped. whether it’s crossing one another in the grocery store, or sitting in a resturant at the tables that face one another. sitting in the same movie theater on opposite ends, or accidentally getting one another’s coffee at the local starbucks. after too many run ins, it’s impossible to ignore the similarities and the coincidences, and they decide to spend an evening together, getting to know one another -- and to nobody’s surprise -- they’re a perfect fit. muse a gets all of muse b’s jokes, and muse b likes all of muse a’s “flaws” and they’re just as dopey and gross as you’re probably imagining. 

Mad Woman

i’m not writing this one either.

Epiphany 

this one could go either way, and it’s entirely up to you and what fits your characters/what you feel most comfortable writing! muse a is either a soldier, or a healthcare worker. either way, they’ve both been through a lot, and seen more loss than any person should. but in a seemingly bleak world, muse b exists. the reason muse a works so hard. whether it’s somebody to come home from, after being overseas (if muse a is in the army!) or squeezing in time between doubles after a four car pile up came into the hospital (if muse a is a healthcare worker!), muse b is there to hold them, and remind them that there are good things left in the world and they’re just so healthy. 

Betty 

i’m just here to hurt myself at this point, but !!! give me a couple that everyone thought would make it. years together, and completely wrapped up in one another. they’ve been dating since high school, and now they’re about to enter their last year of college. muse a went back home for the summer, while muse b stayed at their apartment near campus. they stayed in touch, but as the summer progressed, muse b heard from muse a less and less, only to find out that muse a had spent the summer with somebody back home. when muse a finds out, they end things, but immediately regret it -- even if they won’t admit it. they’re just praying that muse b will come to their senses and come back. meanwhile, muse b is just trying to find the courage to face them, knowing that they only made this mistake because they were young, and thought they were bored of the “same old thing” even though it turns out nothing could ever compare to muse a. suddenly they’re at muse a’s front door in the middle of the night, knowing and hoping that they’ll get the love of their life back. (will muse b actually accept, despite how much they miss them? or will they slam the door?? will it be awkward if they get back together? will the trust ever come back??)

Peace 

muse a has always struggled with money, but when they fell in love with muse b, they swore they’d do whatever they could to provide the best life for them. but words don’t pay the bills. no matter how hard they work, it feels like they’re always struggling to keep their heads above the water. while the late fees build up, however, there’s no denying that their relationship is based on the purest love. the kind of love that leaves a person speechless. muse a would do anything for muse b, and vice versa. muse a constantly feels as though the other deserves better, because they want to give them more. give them everything, and they just can’t. but they don’t realize that for muse b, their love is enough. 

Hoax 

alright, so... this one’s not healthy. but, i’m writing it anyways because i’m in love with this idea?? SO muse a and muse b have been on and off for years. they’re always finding ways to hurt each other, whether it’s flashing their newest fling in the other’s face during the breaks, or picking fights for fun when they’re still together. when it’s bad, it’s so bad. but when it’s good, it’s so good, in ways that only make sense to one another, because no matter how many people they sleep with or relationships they break, they always find their way back to one another, convinced that there’s not a single person that understands them the way they do. they’d rather be angry and fight than be without one another. no matter how many times they call it quits, their hearts belong to each other and nobody can even begin to compare. make this more interesting by developing growth!! make them realize it’s not healthy! make them realize what they want, and that they have to work to have it! sacrifices and affection! real love! not just passionate sex and pillow talk secrets. not just years of history, but the effort to make it work because wasting times on their silly game just isn’t working anymore!

[summylise]

Hearing Titanic

A/N: HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, @gsut!! Surpirse!! It is I! Your Valentine!! I reallly hope you like this!! I saw that you had posted a Gajevy fic and talked about Gajevy a number of times so I hope you like this!! Also, listen to this while you read; it’s what I imagined the music to be! https://youtu.be/HSgN5EWKi9Y

Rating: K+, :3

Pairing: Gajevy, some slight Stingue

Here ya go! I hope you like it…

Levy flipped the crisp page of her book with enough force to almost tear it in two. Her eyes raced over each letter, each word, each sentence, hardly allowing her brain enough time to comprehend what it all meant. The scene poured seamlessly into her mind; she didn’t need to figure out what each word meant when she could see the characters and scenery so vividly.

The two lovers engaged in a vicious quarrel; their swords clashed and collided with the other. Blood streamed down a deep cut in the woman’s cheek and she spit, revealing the slice had gone deeper than she had originally thought. The man held his sword with his left hand, his right cradled protectively against his side. They bared their teeth at the other and raised their swords for another attack.

Bystanders would not have known that they were together but Levy knew better. She could see in the way the woman’s brows would furrow a fraction when the man would hiss. She could tell by the way the man hesitated and stutter-stepped before lunging. It was all an act. An act to keep them a secret. A perverted version of Romeo and Juliet.

She curled her feet under her as she turned another page. Only a few more pages and it will all be over, Levy thought with tears in her eyes.

The man took a breath and lunged…

…as a single note rung out.

Levy blinked and ripped her gaze from her novel.

She paused.

Had she just imagined it? Was this story slowly ebbing away at her sanity?

A waterfall of soft bass notes followed suit.

A break.

She wasn’t imagining it; someone was actually playing the piano.

Levy glanced at the clock above her stove. Midnight. She quirked her lips. Why was someone playing this late?

Faint higher notes joined in, waltzing around the subtle bass. They lifted and glided their way across the scale, the undertones guiding them the whole way. The treble clef was its own solo and the bass accompanied, never leaving the top, never faltering.

Her heart skipped. The room faded around her, disappearing into the dark of the night as the notes pulled her in.

She could practically see them dancing in perfect unison, the notes complimenting each other with every step. Her feet moved and the book slipped from her hand. She glided across the floor. Her cotton covered toes slid across the smooth hard wood of her apartment with as much grace and fragility as the high treble. A sweet waltz between the music and herself. She lifted her fingers to the cool metal door knob and twisted. She needed to hear more of it.

Levy poked her head into the dark corridor. A thin streak of moonlight sliced through the darkness, illuminating a sliver of the wood flooring with a pale blue hue. A comfortable cool washed over her as the almost silent air conditioning kicked on, driving away the still lingering muggy heat of yesterday’s summer day.

Her eyes slide shut, allowing herself to meld with the music. She sighs.

Four distinct notes sound and she stops. Her eyes flash open. Her breath catches. She knows this song. She waits, listening for more just in case she’s wrong.

Sure enough, the notes she had been anticipating floated down the hallway with a growing crescendo. A wave of excitement passed over her, drawing a smile to her lips. My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. Though the piano instrumental was unfamiliar to her, she could recognize that chorus anywhere.

A crazy thought flew through her mind, a thought as reckless and carefree as that woman who had once raced down corridors chasing her lover. Yes it was stupid. Yes it was probably going to piss everyone off but she had to do it. She had to find who that was; she had to see who was making that beautiful music.

Heart racing, Levy opened her mouth.

“Jack!” she exclaimed, as if she were a pampered red-head from the early 1900’s.

The music cut off, the last notes ringing out and disappearing into the rippling darkness.

Levy stilled, her fingers freezing in their position hovering in the air.

Nothing. No rest. No additional notes. The piano just stopped.

She messed up. She knew she shouldn’t have done that. She shouldn’t have been so reckless. She should have-

“Rose!” a voice shouted.

She gasped. He responded. And it was a he. Her heart flipped, begging to beat out of her chest.

She couldn’t move; her feet cemented themselves to the floor. She tried to speak up, to yell back but her throat dried.

“Rose!” the gruff voice exclaimed again.

Levy blinked and shook her head. She had to say something back. Her lips broke into a smile, excitement rushing through her like waves on the ocean.

With shaking hands and aching cheeks she yelled, “Jack!”

A piano covering slammed shut. Footfalls echoed overhead, their heavy weight slamming into the flooring and racing down the hallway. Adrenaline shot through her like a bullet. He was running to her. Just like in the movie.

Levy giggled and darted down the hallway. She had to see who that was.

“Rose!” he exclaimed again.

His voice guided her forward, like the bass did with the treble.

Her giggles broke into a full on laugh.

“Jack!”

“Rose!”

“Shut up!” another voice yelled.

A blush flooded her cheeks but she kept running, laughing at her embarrassment.

Behind her, a blond head poked out from behind room 236. He ran a head through his disheveled hair, blinking the drowsiness from his eyes.

“What was all that about?” he mumbled, staring at Levy’s shrinking back.

Another man approached from behind, wrapping his arms around the blond’s waist with a yawn.

“It’s probably just Levy reenacting another one of her stories again,” he said, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Let’s go back to sleep. I don’t want to wake Frosch again.”

Rogue smiled against the blond’s back.

“Yeah that sounds like a good idea,” he murmured placing a hand over Rogue’s.

Sting chuckled, shutting the door.

Levy slammed into the wall with an oof!, her momentum almost causing her to miss the door. Her cheeks hurt from her endless smiling but she couldn’t help herself. Her body was moving on pure impulse at this point and she couldn’t stop it. Not that she wanted to.

Her heart beat into overdrive as she fumbled to slide her keycard down the reader. Shaky fingers reached for the door handle, not waiting for the green light or beep. She wrenched the door open and bolted up the stairs.

She stalled as she placed a foot on the first step of the second floor. Where was she going? She didn’t know what floor he was coming from. She didn’t even know if she had accidentally passed it already.

“Jack!” she called out again, hoping that he was closer than she thought.

She continued her ascent, praying that they didn’t pass each other.

What if she missed him? What if he missed her? What if-

“Rose!” his voice rang out, echoing off the metal stairs.

His boots pounded against the steel bars.

He was close. Just another floor.

Levy huffed, her legs burning. She was so close. She couldn’t let her body stop her, even if it was only built for reading and writing.

Three more steps.

She bounded up the last few stairs, her eyes trained on the floor so her feet wouldn’t slip.

Her head collided with a huge solid wall, sending her flying backwards. Levy yelped as her body felt weightless and her feet almost left the ground. A firm hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her forward. Her feet could touch again and she threw an arm out to balance herself.

Her eyes drifted to the thick hand that wrapped completely around her wrist, his fingers overlapping each other. She paused and eyed the hand. Her gaze slowly followed the curve and bumps of his large arm. She basically had to break her neck to look him in the eye but when she did, she found herself unable to move. His eyes mirrored that of the dark and restless sea of 1912, churning and mysterious but hiding something captivating.

He stared back at her, lips parted. He opened his mouth to speak but his words died on his tongue. A dusting of pink spread across his cheeks and nose making him almost glow like a beacon in the dim stairwell.

He coughed. Levy blinked, realizing that she had been staring too long. She gasped and dropped her eyes to her ensnared wrist.

The man paused for a moment then grunted, removing his hand.

Levy dropped her arms and twisted her fingers together, as if weaving the web the two of them were now caught in.

“Th-thank you,” she starting, her nerves almost overwhelming her, “for catching me. I don’t think I’d be able to read that much with a concussion.”

The man said nothing at first. She felt his eyes on her but she refused to look up, still too nervous after not only face planting into him but almost breaking her neck after. He grunted and muttered a quick “you’re welcome” under his breath.

Levy drew in a shaky breath. She’d have to face him again at some point, right? Might as well do it now and get it out of the way. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, sticking her trembling fists into her sweatshirt pockets. He quickly shifted his gaze away from her. As if she couldn’t tell he had been staring before.

“Was that you playing the piano?” she murmured.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slowly and she prayed that he couldn’t hear her breath hitch when it all but echoed along their small island of metal.

“Yeah? And what if it was?” he answered, his voice nonchalant yet unable to hide its slight quiver.

Levy’s lips tugged into a small smile.

“It’s just that,” she almost whispered, “you were playing my favorite song: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion.”

He gently turned back to her, his pierced eyebrows losing their harsh bend a fraction. His lips parted again and the fists that he had been hiding behind his back slackened and fell back to his sides.

“I take it you’re Rose? The one screaming ‘Jack’ like a crazed lunatic down the hallway?” he guessed.

Levy smirked and cocked her hip, Rose’s confidence returning to her.

“Gee. I have no idea. What could have given you that idea?” she said.

His face broke into a large toothy grin that made Levy’s heart swoon. He mimicked her, placing his own hands on his hips.

“I just wanted to check. I didn’t think a loud voice like that could come from a shrimp like you,” he retorted.

Normally, Levy would have decked someone for making a short joke about her but tonight, she wasn’t Levy. She was Rose DeWitt Bukater, a bold and self-assured woman who found quips like these amusing, especially when said by her Jack. Levy burst into giggles, covering her mouth in an attempt to hide them in vain.

The man smirked and straightened his posture by a hair. The sunset blush returned to his cheeks reminding Levy of the colors that certainly adorned her own face.

She wiped imaginary tears from her eyes and glanced back at him. His piercings no longer scrunched in the middle and his eyes softened revealing a warmth Levy had barely detected earlier. He gave her that look, the one she had read the main love interest give his lover in her novel that surely lay bent and forgotten in her apartment. The one where everything else fades and they look at you as if you’re the whole world and nothing else exists. The one where you know, you just know, that you’re special. And even though they had met not a few minutes earlier, she could already see the beginnings of that very same look in his eyes.

Levy bit her lip, deciding to take one more step with Rose’s guidance.

“Would you-”

“D’you-”

They both stopped, eyes wide before Levy broke into giggles yet again. The man, Gajeel she would later learn, chuckled under his breath.

“I mean…would you…d’you maybe want to-” he started.

Levy grinned and placed her small finger against his thin lips, cutting him off. Rose had fully taken over and she had no qualms against it.

“How about coffee? There’s a shop just down the road that my friend and I go to all the time,” she said. “You can pick me up around 8, ok? Room 224. How does that sound?”

Gajeel blinked, astonished that such a little girl could have such a commanding presence. His jaw brushed the floor as he struggled to form words. To form noises. Anything. Her smile completely stunned him, cementing his body to the stairs as if his body was a part of that same metal. It seemed to light up the room and drove away the shadows around them. He was completely caught off guard by how much this small girl could have such a strong hold on him. He didn’t mind and he didn’t care if he froze in place, staring endlessly into her bright eyes and blinding grin.

He coughed and tried to clear his throat in order for words to properly flow. But even then, it didn’t work.

“I…um…yeah…sure…” he managed but she was already racing back down the stairs.

Gajeel stood there. Just stood there. Too shocked to move. Too astonished to breathe. The only thing he could register was the frantic beat of his heart, the unending burning of his face, and the fact that he was going on a date with one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. It was moments like these that Gajeel reflects and realizes that though they had just met and spent a few minutes together, they really were like the fated duo aboard that grand ship.