#sassy natsu

[lonleyhumanbeing]

You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you…

Joke screenshot but still. It’s just so pretty. The way the landscape itself looks magical? The eyes in certain shots? It’s better than I ever could have dreamed of.

[classysassy9791]

I wanted this post to be perfect - with the perfect redraw of a redraw. I wanted to do all the shading and lighting and background to really flex how far my skills have come. But sometimes inspiration doesn’t let you do that. Mental Health and Real Life tend to wiggle into the way of a vision. And that’s okay! Creating artwork will never be “perfect” no matter how you look at it, and simply putting something on a page is better than not being creative at all. 

So, instead of chastising myself for not doing better, I’m going to celebrate how much I have accomplished and grown. 

These two redraws are about 1 year apart. I started drawing, really drawing, one year ago. With lots of encouragement from comrades and personal research, I’ve grown with each artwork I’ve created - including this one. I know its intimidating when you see work from artists who have been drawing for so many years, but this is your reminder of how much of a difference one single year can make when it comes to something you love and pursue. 

One year. 

And that is not restricted to drawing. It’s for any creative outlet that you find yourself chasing. So for all of those who have been waiting to pick up a hobby, or start something new, because you know you won’t be good in the beginning, and its daunting how much growth you have ahead of you, this here is a reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to - and regardless of the outcome, you’re bringing something beautiful into this world. 

It’s amazing how much of a difference one year makes. Much love and many thanks to all those who have supported me this last year as I pursued this new creative outlet. <3

(click on images for better quality)

[shiiro-arts]

Natsu, you sassy motherf*cker

[octopineslime]

Baby Girl

Natsu was never someone who would think deeply and far ahead of his life. He was more than content to live in the present, enjoying food, brawls and going on dangerous missions with his Fairy Tail family day by day.

But he did give some thoughts about the future during the dead of some nights, when he's brimming with too much restless energy to sleep and Lucy strictly forbade his entry to her apartment for some sort of "girl nights"(urg, he wouldn't dare enter the dubbed danger zone during those time willingly either, less he wanted to be beaten black and blue by a certain scary scarlet head).

Fairy Tail was no doubt the one big and only family he would fight to death to protect, and everyone was always very welcoming and protective of one another despite coming from all walks of life. But inside the one big family, there would be smaller family units that hold certain members closer than others to their hearts, and these groups would become inseparable, irreplaceable with their core members given the utmost trusting and loving bond they shared.

He could definitely see those existed in the Connell family, the Conbolt father-son duo, and even in the bond shared between a certain metal-eating freak, his Exceed and their resident script mage. For a while, the fire dragonslayer could only see himself carrying this bond with his trusty, blue Exceed, and he was content with that.

But then Lucy, with her golden and buxom appearance, sassy and no-nonsense attitude, starry heaven magic and too big of a kind heart, came falling into his life and the transition of his family of duo turned into trio was so natural and seamless that he couldn't bear remembering a time before this beautiful, sunshine girl.

With the celestial mage by his side, his future now looked brighter and more exciting with countless adventures awaiting them to embark on as it's always more fun when they're together. And the idea of settling down sounded both daunting and appealing at the same time, as he knew that was what he wanted eventually in a near point of future, given how solid and fulfilling his and Lucy's relationship now going strong for 3 years as romantic partners among the 6 years of friendship.

Both he and Lucy shared the same idea of having a big family, maybe 2-3 kids, given how lonely it had for him to survive alone in the wilderness within the brief period after Igneel's disappearance and before Gramps found him; and the painful abandonment Lucy experienced as an only child without a loving mother and a grief-stricken father.

Natsu always thought his firstborn would be a son, not because of stupid prejudiced thoughts that boys were better than girls, but more so because he felt he could bond with the boy the same way Igneel had with him. He would teach the youngling how to harness and control his dragon fire, assuming that the kid took after his magic, how to fight and win a brawl (definitely when against the droopy-eyed ice princess kids), and to take him on fishing trips, missions and hunting escapades not only for father-son bonding time, but also for the child to hone his survival instinct and skills, and become stronger so one day he could protect his family and friends on his own.

And that excitement grew larger the rounder Lucy's belly got, carrying the proof of their love after a year into their marriage. It always fascinated him how a woman's body could hold and carry around the entire weight of a human being inside, no magic could hold the candle to this and this is amazing, his Lucy was amazing!

Whenever they were out, Natsu's arm was hardwired to automatically wound around his wife's waist, both to readily protect her and their unborn child from any dangers and to feel the heated warmth radiated from the baby bump against his palm just to assure the child were there. And when Lucy told him the baby could start hearing as their ears are now developed, courtesy to Polyusica's update from the celestial mage's bi-weekly pregnancy check-up, Natsu and Happy would start babbling to the baby bump about the guild, their teammates, the adventures Team Natsu had gone on. and the plans he had for the child when they came out, etc. as Lucy lovingly stroked his hair and pet between Happy’a ears as she listened to them.

They opted not to discover the baby's gender during the pregnancy, wanting to be surprised when the time came. On nights they laid in each other's arms, the couple would discuss about the possible names for their baby, often ended up with giggles or exasperated huffs from Lucy as the ridiculous names Natsu would come up with (no offense to Happy, but who would name their kid Happy Jr?!)

In the end, they decided to go with Nasha Layla Dragneel for the girl, and Igneel Jude Dragneel for the boy, in honoring of their late parents. Everything was going in the right direction and Natsu couldn't wait for the arrival of their child.

And the time finally came in the form of Lucy shriek and his too numb hand from the insanely tight grip of his wife as she giving birth. The guild resident fire dragon slayer had never liked to see his celestial mage in pain, even if it was because of their child, and he could only helplessly whisper soothing words into her ears and prayed for the quick process.

A piercing wail finally echoed the infirmary as Wendy rushed to clean and swaddle the baby in a blanket. Natsu was stunned to hear Wendy congratulated them on the beautiful baby girl and his brain took some times to proceed the information. He dazedly watched Lucy cradled their daughter close, and smiled those radiant smiles of her that never failed to make his heart skip a beat. Happy, now allowed in the infirmary, hovered over Lucy and the bundle as his eyes sparkled with starry wonder as he took in his sibling.

He only snapped out when Lucy turned and asked him if he wanted to hold their Nasha. The pinkette could only dumbly nod as he shakily formed his hand into the practiced form as Lucy passed the baby to him.

The moment his daughter laid in his arms, Natsu’s heart were instantly overwhelmed with the feeling of love and gratitude as he cradled his baby girl close to his chest. Nasha seemed to take a liken to his abnormal body heat as she subconsciously squirmed closer and his heart swelled with adoration.

He could see wisps of pink hair adorned her head and the moment she opened her eyes to show the world her murky but undoubtedly brown orbs so similar to the woman he loved, right then and there he decided that she was the most beautiful baby girl in all Fiore. Any objections could eat his flaming fist to their face.

At that moment, he decided that any baby of his and Lucy was absolutely perfect and he would lay his life down to protect and ensure they had the best life as possible.

***

It had been a few months after Nasha’s birth and life had been eventful to say the least to the first-time parents. Despite the heavy bags hung under their bloodshot eyes due to the lack of sleep from their daughter wailing (that girl sure had the lungs of a dragon), and the fret to discover the causes, Natsu wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the warmth and fuzzy feeling in his chest whenever he looked or held his baby girl.

Nasha was now laying on his broad chest, his large palm anchored her tiny form to his as they laze on the bed with the warm afternoon light filtered through the bedroom window and basked their form. Happy had left for the guild to spend time with a certain white cat that had now warmed up to his advances.

Looking at the pudgy and rosy cheeks of his cute daughter, Natsu couldn’t help but lightly prodded and pinched the doughy flesh for his own amusement. Not liking the teasing from her father, Nasha’s doe brown orbs started growing glassy as her tiny mouth formed the beginning of a wailing.

“Shh, don’t cry Nasha, please don’t cry baby girl, Daddy’s only kidding. Shh, go back to sleep” Natsu immediately shushed his daughter by rubbing her back gently and pressing kisses to her wispy pink hair. His nose inhaled her heavenly baby smell and the subtle mixed scent of his and Lucy, and his body subconsciously relaxed and heated comfortably to calm the baby down.

He must have dosed off briefly as his sense woke up from the gentle combing on his scalp and the familiar scent of camellia and star dust filled his nose. Natsu opened his eyes to take in the pleasant visual of his beautiful wife smiling lovingly down at them as she whispered “Hey Daddy and Baby, I’m home. Do you mind if I join in the napping session?”

Opening his unoccupied arm invitingly, Lucy crawled into the bed to lay on his biceps as her dainty hands joined his on top of Nasha’s snoozing form.

As he curled his arm and pulled his wife tighter to the side, Natsu exhaled contently as he couldn’t help but think he was the luckiest bastard in the world to have two beautiful and loving girls in his arms.

He really wouldn’t trade anything in the whole world for this.

[fanstuffrantings]

I was wondering can I hear your thoughts on this what if scenario?

I read this Nalu fic and Lucy even mentored she has no right to be angry at natsu for leaving he lost his father and she might have lost Aquarius but she’s still out there somewhere .

Now I’m wondering what if after Lucy broke Aquarius key , Aquarius did get reborn along side her key .

The Aquarius that Lucy knew is gone , the Aquarius Scorpio was dating is gone . Now what remains is a different Aquarius maybe it’s a child Aquarius( shout out to her child design) or a completely different Aquarius who still has the mermaid tail and the water magic . But hair color different (example green ) and maybe her personality is low-key similar (loud and sassy ) or completely different (quite and wise )

Just think of the angst potential.

So this one is one I have complex feelings about and really think I could be swayed in a lot of ways. I know I've mentioned it, but Lucy sacrificing the Aquarius key is one of the best moments in the entire series. I would've loved more build up/time spent with Aquarius and Lucy before it but in general it's a pretty solid moment. Great time of seeing magic that costs something.

That said, I have mixed feelings about the concept of Aquarius being different. Now I do like Lucy either never seeing Aquarius ever again or never seeing her until she's an old woman and Aquarius belongs to a much younger celestial mage leading to one final reunion.

But, if it's well done, lucy meeting (not necessarily owning) an Aquarius she doesn't know, who only has inklings of who she is and is a different person could've been fun to see. It would've added to the grief of the situation with the understanding that there are ways for spirits to die. But that remnants of them pull through.

It could be a really interesting conversation on grief and maybe even a way for Lucy to finally be able to move on from the death of her mother with her connection to Aquarius.

Tl;DR: interesting concept and I'm open to hearing ideas! I don't dislike the exploration of almost any follow up to the destruction of the Aquarius key. (One exception is lucy getting the key again a few years later and nothing changing. That's a cop out I will not entertain.)

[love---mandy]

I was wondering can I hear your thoughts on this what if scenario?

I read this Nalu fic and Lucy even mentored she has no right to be angry at natsu for leaving he lost his father and she might have lost Aquarius but she's still out there somewhere .

Now I'm wondering what if after Lucy broke Aquarius key, Aquarius did get reborn along side her key .

The Aquarius that Lucy knew is gone, the Aquarius Scorpio was dating is gone. Now what remains is a different Aquarius maybe it's a child Aquarius ( shout out to her child design) or a completely different Aquarius who still has the mermaid tail and the water magic. But hair color different (example green) and maybe her personality is low-key similar (loud and sassy ) or completely different (quite and wise)

Just think of the angst potential.

Your not my Aquarius but your wearing her face 👀

👁️👁 What an interesting concept. I love the potential angst in this situation. Like Lucy reminiscing about something in an attempt to jog her memory, depending on Aquarius’ new personality she might indulge her hoping that it can help her navigate her grief. Of course none of these would work because the old Aquarius is gone.

There could also be a situation where they meet another Celestial Wizard who made a contract with Aquarius before Lucy could find her. Like they’d meet this new wizard under friendly terms, and when Lucy notices the Aquarius key, she would ask the wizard to summon her so that they could talk. Only to be met with someone she doesn’t recognize, or someone who doesn’t recognize her. This would force Lucy to both accept that Aquarius is gone, and let her go.

Just to circle back to the first part, I feel like it’s a bit unfair to think Lucy doesn’t have the right to be upset that Natsu left, especially cause he left without a proper goodbye (I feel like she deserves more then a note). Like she just lost Aquarius, who was part of her family, and in this spiral of sadness and grief, her best friend leaves her, and to add an extra layer the guild got disbanded. So while yes I agree that she shouldn’t be upset with Natsu for processing how he needed to, she definitely should be mad that he just up in left while she was going through arguably one of her most intense emotional periods.

But yes 100% yes I love the idea of Keys being reborn.

[fairytail-whathesays]

do you have some sting eucliffe/twin dragons headcanons?

Most of Sting's and Rogue's scars actually come from fighting each other. It's a gay guy thing, you wouldn't get it.

Sting has had naturally flawless skin all his life. Even the scars somehow heal over just right to be aesthetically pleasing. Combine that with his dress sense and perfectly done hair and sassy little bisexual earring, and it drives Rogue crazy--Rogue's teen acne was nightmarish and he's still a little self-conscious about it.

Speaking of appearance, the reason Rogue's hair is allowed to cover his face most of the time is because he's light-sensitive. It's easier on his eyes to be staring out from under his hair.

Sting is definitely the more dominant of the two personality-wise, but it's probably Rogue you want to stay on the good side for--you know what they say about the nice, shy guys. Rogue is actually stronger than Sting when he digs deep into his power reserves, and you'll know you're about to get your ass whooped when you see red glowing eyes and fangs sharper even than the average dragonslayer's.

The whole shadow-possession thing is not supposed to happen. Rogue's shadow magic is not 'unholy' or 'darkness' element the way certain other magics are--it's really just a dragonslaying version of Kageyama's magic, a simple elemental magic unassociated with evil. This happened primarily because of unforeseen side-effects of dragonization bleeding over into his shadow magic, which did not benefit from Rogue's antibodies.

We're going to charitably correct canon and say that Rogue and Sting actually drew even with Natsu (AND GAJEEL) at the Grand Magic Games fight. Still not a win, so everything else can proceed accordingly, but not an embarrassing loss either, because why murder hype in its sleep if we don't have to?

Rogue's magic feels very cold and empty, while Sting's magic is white-hot to the touch.

Sting can't get tattoos. The magic in his body bleaches them of color over time and eventually dissipates/evaporates them completely. He has to get his Sabertooth guild mark re-stamped every so often. This is because his body is naturally held to a specific stasis-like level of "purity" and his magic seeks out and purifies foreign agents. This also makes it very difficult for him to get sick.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Which ladies are the biggest rivals for Natsu? Who argues the most when it comes to him? It's got to be Erza with either Mirajane or Kagura.

Well... (人◕ω◕)

We saw Natsu was in line for Nurse Erza. There's a few that might take issue with that... (人◕ω◕)

Erza took Wendy-chan's patients from her. And Chelia's great at healing, too. This won't stand. (人◕ω◕)

Of course there's the typical Erza and Mira shenanigans. (人◕ω◕) Just cuz Mira-chan's nice most of the time now, doesn't mean she lets Erza hog all the prime Natsu time. \(人◕ω◕)/

Let's see... Who else... (人◕ω◕)

Juvia certainly butts heads with Erza sometimes. And Mira will often tease her. (人◕ω◕) But for Juvia, I think the most iconic is...

Chelia-chan, of course. (人◕ω◕) Sweet Cheli doesn't let Juvia-chan boss her around. Especially not when Natsu is at stake. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)

Sorano-chan is loved by all. So sassy. (人◕ω◕) Always wearing as little clothes as possible, too.

Don't underestimate Ultear-chan, either. She will literally use Meldy-chan to... well.... (人◕ω◕) She'll do things to her rivals. Ultear-chan finds ways.

Now, Kagura-chan... (人◕ω◕);;;

(人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;;

You threaten her chances with Natsu and Happy... Or you inconvenience Erza-neesan.... You die. (人◕ω◕);;;

Brandish-chan... Don't underestimate this one. (人◕ω◕) If she finds you to be a pest, she'll just shrink you or mess with you. ... Sometimes both. :3

Yukino's a cutie, but... (人◕ω◕)

Yukino-chan fights for her mans, too. (人◕ω◕) For her and Sorano-nee.

Conversely, you also have Lisanna, who's also a li'l sis. (人◕ω◕) But, uh... Lisanna-chan is understated in a different way from Yukino-chan.

Interesting enough she imitates Erza. (人◕ω◕)

They say imitation is one of the highest forms of flattery, though. (人◕ω◕) Still... Uh. Lisanna-chan is in the doghouse with most "rivals" for a different reason...

... Yeah, she's definitely the first to have entertained marriage with Natsu. And she reminded him of this in the GMG. (人◕ω◕)

Sayla-chan is more laidback, but uh...

Don't push her nuke button. (人◕ω◕)

Cana-chan is the most laidback out of all them.... But do bear in mind she still has Fairy Glitter. And that's not as friendly as it sounds. (人◕ω◕)

So to put simply... You have factions. Erza and Kagura. Mira and Lisanna. Ultear and Meldy. Sorano and Yukino. Wendy and Chelia. Juvia's in her own camp... (人◕ω◕) And then Sayla, Cana, and Brandish... Yes. This is a good, lively harem.

[starlightoath]

So, like I've got 27 episodes left and like....Women are all over Erza. Jellal x Erza is cute, but.... I don't know, man: Erza x Kagura is an insanely cute ship, but I also like the vibe of the Mira x Erza dynamic. I understand now. Erza really is too cool to be straight.

Speaking of which, like the vibes I'm getting from Natsu and Lucy, right now, is Besties. Like this is important. Because I rarely see a friendship like this between two characters of the opposite sex, I am ecstatic. In this series. I'm vibing on the Nalu Platonic vibes. I'm not anti Romantic Nalu or anything, but like when I came into this story and up to this point Lucy hasn't stopped giving queer vibes. I'm all for those!

As for Gruvia... It's fine. It has proper development, and they have their own character and stories separate from each other. Like they operate separately often. It's just just that falling in love with each other is a big part of their characters and development. I would like to note Juvia being Gajeel's sassy little sister is one of my favorite dynamics. I also likevher being besties with Meredy. And before I get bombarded by the anti-gruvia weirdoes So like it's been two or three years from their perspective, right? Feelings fluctuate over time.

Now, setting that Aside.

Wendy Chelia's relationship warm my heart. Their friendship, their compatibility, their Mets Love! All Top Tier Cuteness.

As for Zeref, Mavis and Natsu....

Wow. Zeref, you fucking asshole. I know immortality and your curse suck but you suck so much! As a person!

[saltyninetails]

My main Fairy tail oc

Name: Elizabeth Halfmoon.

Nicknames: Liz, Lizzie, Beth, Mrs Halfmoon. 

Aliases: The Violet witch. (Given by herself) 

Age: 21

Species: Human. 

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Hair color: blonde (Left side) Black (Right side)

Eye color: Black (Left eye) Blue (right eye)

Guild: Fairy Tail

Guild mark location: left shoulder. 

Personality: Elizabeth is a headstrong woman who is known for her high intelligence and sassy nature. Elizabeth often has a smirk on her face, especially in battle and is very confident in her abilities. Elizabeth has a knack for recklessness and danger, which sparks her interest in Fairy Tail to begin with. Elizabeth is known for being very sarcastic to the point that some people don’t know when she’s being sarcastic or not. Elizabeth is known to be a jokester and often plays pranks on her guild mates. (especially Lucy) Elizabeth can get annoyed quite easily (especially when it comes to her brother figure Cyril) but surprisingly is not often annoyed by Natsu. Elizabeth is very independent and wants to keep that reputation. Due to that, she can be hesitant to ask for help. Elizabeth can be rude at times without knowing, but her heart is in the right place. She cares for each of her guild mates with all her heart and would protect her friends with her life. Elizabeth is known to have violent tendencies when it comes to enemies and sometimes goes at them with the intent to kill. Due to growing up in regal environments, Elizabeth is classy and a bit vain.

Family: Ann Halfmoon (Mother, Deceased) Ejiro Halfmoon (Father, doesn’t have the best relationship with) Aki Kyojin (brother figure) Mizumi Himiko (sister figure) Cyril Moonstone (brother figure) 

Best friends: Gloria Karmel(Best Friend), Ame Heartfilia, Ivory Lemons Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, the Strauss siblings, Levy McGarden, Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvel

Friends: Scain Lemons, Reynold Lemons, Juvia Lockser, Jellal Fernandes, Ultear Milkovich, Max Arlos, Romeo Conbolt, Bisca Mulan, Loke, Sting Euclife, Rogue Cheney, Lyon Vastia, Lucy Heartfilia

Rivals: Lucy Heartfilia (friendly rivalry) Nova Eden, Priscilla Elvira (Love rival) 

Love interest: Natsu Dragneel

Magic: Plasma-Make

Description of magic: Elizabeth’s Magic allows her to spawn and manipulate plasma and use it to create objects. Her magic is extremely powerful, but comes with a price. The user is not completely immune to the temperature of plasma and often will get burned by their magic if they use it too frequently. Due to this, Elizabeth also partakes in potion making in order to be useful without harming her body too much. 

BackStory: Elizabeth grew up in a wealthy household with her mother and father deep in the woods away from civilization. When Elizabeth was five, her father left and her mother was stuck trying to provide for the family. When Elizabeth was eight, a dark guild invaded their home, stole all their riches, and killed Elizabeth’s mother right before her eyes. Terrified, Elizabeth ran into the woods where she met a passing hiker named Eliot. Eliot took pity on the poor girl and took her in. He brought her to his guild where he taught her his magic, and taught her all about the world. Elizabeth lived in Eliot’s guild until she was ten, when she found the dark truth about the ones who were taking care of her. She wandered into a room that the guild master forbade her from going into, and found a room full of Riches. Her riches. This is when Elizabeth realized that this is the very guild that killed her mother. Panicking, Elizabeth ran, trying to find her way out of the guild. When Eliot found her and revealed he never wanted to join the guild in the first place but was forced to since his father was the guild master. He didn’t agree with anything the guild did. He led her out of the guild and gave her a map of fiore. She asked him to come with her, but he refused, saying that they'll find her easier if he went with her. They hugged and said their goodbyes. Elizabeth found her way to a nearby village, she was starving. So, she took an apple from a stand, completely forgetting that she didn’t bring money. The man that ran the stand chased her down before she ran into three children, one around her age. They saw the apple in her hand and said that she needs to be more stealthy when stealing. They introduced themselves as Aki, Mizumi, and Cyril, took her under their wing and taught her how to be a thief. The four of them dubbed themselves team kitsune, they were known as the Robin Hood’s of the village, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. However, Elizabeth has a set goal in mind. She wants to steal enough riches to pay up for what her mother lost. It’s been like this for nine years before Fairy Tail came. Four Fairy Tail members all had to take down team Kitsune as a job. One of them was Natsu Dragneel. He took on Elizabeth, not knowing she’s about as powerful as he is. They fought on and off again for what seemed like days before Natsu saw Elizabeth feeding poor orphans in the streets. Natsu was stunned before realizing she wasn’t such a bad guy. He confronted Elizabeth, and after a lot of convincing, she revealed her past to him. Natsu did the same, revealing his past to her. The two developed a bond and Natsu managed to convince her and the rest of team Kitsune to join Fairy Tail. Ever since then, Elizabeth has been going on adventures with Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and the rest of Fairy Tail.

[curried-mermaid]

A Review: The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 1

Author: Natsu Hyuuga Compiler: Itsuki Nanao Illustrator: Nekokurage Publisher: Square Enix Age: Teen Genre: drama mystery romance Type: Manga

Content warnings: death, self-poisoning

Spoilers

Plot

Maomao, a young woman, is an apothecary who’s kidnapped and forced to work as a servant at the inner palace. While there, she solves a curse afflicting the imperial heirs and is whisked away to be a poison tester for the emperor’s favorite concubine. When she’s not doing that she solves mysteries?

Characterization

Maomao is an intriguing protagonist because she doesn’t care for anything except for herbal medicine and poisons. She’s sassy, sarcastic, serious, and sly. She doesn’t fall for Master Jinshi’s looks ( which throws him off). Maomao has a lot to learn about etiquette and life, but picks up on things quickly, except for Jinshi’s intentions. She’s a complex character with clear flaws she can improve upon, which makes her very relatable to the reader.

Master Jinshi’s is an ethereal beauty of a man…too bad he’s a eunuch. He is the overseer of the inner court “garden” where the emperor’ concubines live. He relies on his beauty, and what it can’t do for him, he relies on his cunning and intelligence. He doesn’t understand why his beauty doesn’t affect Maomao, but he enjoys their interactions. He’s an interesting character that has some complexity. I’m looking forward to the author fleshing him out more.

The secondary characters fill the world for Maomao quite well. Each as a specific purpose in her life. She interacts with them more than once. This creates a circle around her much like how we do with our friends and family.

World-Building

World-building happens mainly through the backgrounds of the manga. Another great we;at that Apothecary diaries does this is Maomao’s interactions with secondary and background characters. Her inner observations color the world for us. One such line being:

“The palace and the pleasure district are not all that different” (Vol. 1, p. 7).

Theme

Life is full of surprises.

Observations

Jinshi’s is set-up to become a complex and major player in Maomao’s life and is definitely the romance partner. At the same time, there is the trope of strong female hating the romance partner and then falling for him over time. While this trope is played out, the slow-burn of this piece with the mixture of intrigue and mystery helps move the story without focusing too much on the romance. It’s a great balance.

The mysteries are interesting and engaging. We learn a lot about the world and how it works by Maomao solving them. Maomao has the potential, circumstances, and guidance to improve herself if she can learn to expand her knowledge past herbal medicine and poisons.

Recommendations

For more drama mystery romance:

Raven of the Inner Palace by: Koko Shirakawa

For more drama and romance:

Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke’s Mansion by: Mitch’s

The Remarried Empress by: Herelee

[bringerofdeathandtheapocolypse]

So ummmm.

I may have come up with a height head canon for all the slayers.

Laxus is the tallest at about 6'3

Gajeel is about 6'0 to 6'1

Rogue is between 5'10 and 5'11 (I can't get tall Rogue out of my head and now he lives rent free in my brain along side short Rufus)

Sting is about 5'8

Natsu is an inch shorter at 5'7

Wendy is currently 4'8 but when she grows us she's roughly about 5'5 to 5'6

Cobra is the shortest (Minus Wendy) at 5'4 (Because I love the concept that Cobra is this hissing, sassy shit but has to wear heeled boots because all the slayers are taller than he is)

[classysassy9791]

Hello Sassy it is me again, I have been inspired by Pencils secret santa person and the questions they asked them, so.

Do you have any headcannons you would maybe like for the fic?

- Secret Santa

You know, Idk why but I cannot ramble on about headcanons like some people can looking at Pencil and Milo. It's just never been a thing for me; for some reason its hard for me to just word vomit.

But for you, I shall try.

If its going to be a GrayLu piece, I just want them being soft together. I feel as if they might both be a little touch-starved. They have a lot of grief between them, and their love is very subtle. Where Natsu's feelings and emotions are often loud and boisterous, Gray is more reserved. I also think they would enjoy stories together. We see Gray reading Lucy's draft early on in the series, and I most definitely think he would encourage her to write, and often let her bounce ideas off of him. But they can also have fun times; they're the gossiping duo and would definitely be enjoying that tea together. I also think at some point Gray talks about his childhood, even though most of it was stolen from him, and the traditions he left behind in Isvan. In Lucy-fashion, she subtly finds things to help him reconnect with what was lost - maybe a small gift (ornament, bracelet, etc) that would remind him of his birth place - or find things that are similar to the traditions he remembers - like a dance or a gift-giving. I also love the idea that Gray and Lucy were friends first, and then developed feelings later on. They've become comfortable around each other long before and romantic feelings got involved, so they grew to trust each other completely. Their biggest strength is being able to communicate - they never fear what the other will think, and make sure to lay all their cards on the table. They've always been able to have open and honest discussions. Their biggest weakness is probably becoming too comfortable, often neglecting themselves and their relationship, so things tend to get strained if either of them isn't romanced in a while (ie: going out on dates, spending time 1:1 together, planning vacations). Lucy also tends to get a little more jealous than Gray. He's always cool as a cucumber, but Lucy tends to always need a little reassurance now and then. If its regarding Lucy and her friendships, Loke is definitely her protector. He'll be there to make the hard decisions when she's emotionally incapable. He'll always put Lucy and her needs above everything else. Levy and Lucy obviously share a very special bond, connected by their love for literature. And even though their friendship often takes a back seat, Levy is who Lucy goes to whenever she needs advice or to vent. And if we're talking heart-to-hearts, Cana is Lucy's girl, especially when it came to Lucy losing her dad. Cana didn't have a dad for a long time (you know what I mean), so she gets it. She's always down for helping Lucy forget about her problems with something fun to do, and it doesn't always have to involve drinking. Between the 3 girls, Levy is definitely the most reserved and sensible of the three. Cana's the loudest and the one whose always willing to take a risk. Lucy is that sweet middle ground.

I hope this helps! If you need more inspo, feel free to slide back into my ask box. I'm also just getting off a stretch of work days, so my thoughts are a little jumbled. I'm so looking forward to what you come up with! I know I'm going to love it regardless!! <3

[grilledsquids]

serious question: which SFOS character is the best Just Dance player

Well, if you’re asking about just the OCs within SFOS, it’s the infamous Kunitake Aimi, second year STZ student, part-time terror. She’s sassy and competitive and likes to show off, so Just Dance is right up her alley. 💃💃

Overall, taking into account all the characters featured in SFOS, I personally think that Tendou reigns as king. 🕺🕺 Semi is a close second, because I bet he has good rhythm as a musician, but no one can match Tendou’s enthusiasm. Yes he will look goofy doing it, but he will also hit every step.

If Aimi and Tendou were to face off, Aimi would win—but she would do it by cheating. I don’t know how she’d pull it off, but she would.

Natsu would get stage fright and that affects her performance… she only gets over it if she’s trying to beat Shouyou. Yoshi does not dance. Hirao also gets stage fright, but she’s surprisingly coordinated when she dances without an audience.

[yzeltia]

Closer to You

Chapter 18 Characters: Natsu Obinata, Fuyu'li cen Zwhan, @driftward 's Zoissette Vauban, Y'shtola Rhul, Y'hmitra Rhul, Asa Obinata, @erickgage 's Erick Gage and Ryssthota Sundstyrwyn, @niraff14 's Yesuntei Kagon, Clauiden, Y'zel Tia Rating: T for Teen Notes: Thank you @driftward for the mechanics pass

“Please, do keep your enlightenment to yourselves,” Y’shtola said, ears flattening with impatience.

“I…well…I’m not sure what I saw,” Natsu breathed out, leaning on Claudien for support.

“I do. He’s at the aetherial sea. My tracker for the auracite stopped working near Carteneau and the Hinterlands, it must have been a coincidence Y’zel was traveling the same way and branched off toward The Antitower,” Claudien answered, looking rather graven. “I think he intends to helm one of the vacant seats of Omphalos, or rather, it was implied that he could do so…the Echo was a bit fuzzy on the details on that front. Still, he could cause untold harm to our star, bringing the auracite down there.”

“A vacancy…what, does he fancy himself The Lover? Does he intend to play matchmaker across the star to ease everyone’s loneliness?” Y’shtola asked, seeming skeptical that her cousin could do much harm.

“That does, well, sound very in line with his romantic nature,” Zoissette said before standing. “Regardless, I shall assist in stopping him before he can cause a larger problem. If you will excuse me, I will see if I can rally others to the cause.”

Zoissette rose from the table then moved away to go contact others while Y’shtola rapped her fist against her cheek. “You’d think being involved with so many people who have ‘god-felling’ on their resumes would give him a bit of pause. Speaking of which, was Violet not with you?”

“She insisted on seeing Jannie back to Ishgard for the latter’s wedding,” Natsu explained before holding herself. “We won’t…we won’t have to kill him will we?”

“When I was possessed, I more or less was rendered unconscious, shelled by the manipulated aether around me,” Claudien answered, voice tinged with hope.

“Yet Y’zel, we assume, has not been possessed and is operating entirely of his own free will,” Y’shtola mused, “Or at least that is what I’ve taken from what you’ve said.”

“I have sent out a request for support. Everyone will meet in Idyllshire and take flight on the Lunar Whale to the Antitower to attempt to reign him in,” Zoissette announced, returning to the group. “Are we ready?”

🍎 

Natsu swallowed as she hurried down the upside down halls of the Antitower. She felt the aether within her being drawn downward, into the deepest parts of the castle. Claudien led the charge, almost making it difficult to keep up with him as he navigated the familiar halls of the abandoned research facility. 

“This is where you two met, is it not,” Natsu asked breathlessly.

Claudien shook his head, not looking back as he gave his answer. “No. It was the Gubal Library. This is where I worked with his late father, Y’lem Tia, before my family left in the exodus. Though I cannot say for sure his father didn’t take him here. It is probably why he chose this place. No one was left to see it safeguarded.”

“Aside from Master Matoya, though she'd readily write Y’zel off as a non-threat,” Y’shtola chimed in.

“Little surprised she did not clock the auracite,” mumbled Zoissette, looking the place over as they went.

“The crone lives!?” Claudien balked.

“I would be careful disparaging her. You don’t know what wards she has in place for ne'er do wells and sassy children,” Y’shtola warned.

Y’mhitra chuckled from behind. “You'd know the latter well.”

“Good point,” Ryssthota said, pulling a pomander from their satchel and tossing it ahead, illuminating potential traps and wards along the path and walls.

“I would like to point out that Gubal also has its interests here, and would have anyone alerted me on my nephew's sudden possession of a lethal artifact, or that I had a swiving niece running around with you, I might have been been able to mitigate some of this nonsense,” Asa growled as he struggled to keep up in his Forum robes.

Erick keeping pace with Claudien and Natsu looked between them. “I hope you know I’m billing Y’zel for use of company time for this. I have real problems to deal with,” he said, Yeusentei scribbling into a notebook as she shadowed him.

Claudien slowed a bit then rounded a corner before coming to a complete stop. Peeking around him, Natsu looked out into the distance, seeing Y’zel aloft in the aetherial sea, the Heart of Sabik floating just above his chest as aether swirled into it, making it glow. The stone was quick to pulse out a barrier, preventing them from getting too close.

“His aether isn't his own... It's enormous and familiar but I cannot place it,” Y'shtola said before pushing Claudien forward. “Go, Claudien. Talk to him. Reinforcements have yet to arrive, though I imagine if it comes to it we'll manage if we must stop him here.”

“Y’zel!” Claudien yelled out, advancing forward onto a narrow platform.

Y'zel's eyes flitted open as he lazily turned his head toward his friends and family. Yawning, he floated down onto a circular platform, hand out to catch the auracite as it fell slowly into his palm. “It’s too late,” he said dejectedly, avoiding eye contact with the others.

“It’s never too late! Give up the stone and forget this path,” Ryssthota called out. “Have you not learned from the others that handled auracite before you?”

“This must be done! The age of fate has come to an end and I must be the one to reweave it! Without Hydaelyn, without the Gods, there is no longer a direction for our star! Our loved ones are constantly being ripped from us. And what of those we meet anew? I do not desire a calamity…I did not desire godhood. This power was given to me and I shall use it to set both the waking world and our lifestream onto one track so that we might arrive at the destination of our fate together! A one, eternal Heaven, where none shall be torn apart again,” Y’zel said, closing his eyes.

Erick shook his head then stepped forward. “A lovely speech, and a ridiculous waste of time. Allow me to summarize for you. You're scared of a world where you have to make choices, and where you can make mistakes. Fate is a way to offload the responsibility for the choices we make. It is our choices that define us, and I won't let your pathetic inability to face your fears take that from everyone."

Zoissette’s eyes darted back and forth, taking in the scene. She murmured something, as though talking to someone on the side, then nodded. She began to pace around the barrier, holding a hand out to it. “You do not even know what fate is,” she said. “Fate is not a singular thread. It is a braid of many paths, and I would see this thread cut before allowing the will of the many to be suborned by the will of the one.”

“A braid frayed. How many have thrown themselves into the lifestream? For me alone: my mother, father, dad, sister, fiance, and now husband. I simply seek to reweave the lifestream and our Source together so that none shall be forced to be separated again,” he declared, a cold chill emanating from him as a platform of ice began to form below.

Natsu cried out as she felt aether being drawn to her. The sea around them began to groan as streaks of light twisted like silk being washed in a river, all reaching toward Y’zel and the auracite. “Brother! Stop this!”

“Brother? You don’t even know me,” Y’zel responded coldly.

Fuyu’li bared his fangs and put an arm around Natsu, “And yet she’s cared for you and worried for you all this time! You talk about reuniting people and connecting them and yet you just dismiss Natsu! Your aim isn’t unison then, or caring!  This isn’t about the star! You’re just a coward that’s closing off their heart and making sure you’re spared from feeling the pain of loss! You're just a selfish fool!”

Y’zel’s ears folded back, but he did not budge from channeling aether about him, the sea around him starting to freeze into solid crystal. “That is just it. I will spare everyone from feeling pain and loss by doing this. All of us here were bound by our connections to one another. I just seek to strengthen that bond into a singular fate. My will won't be denied!”

“Please stop this! I am sorry that I have dismissed your romantic notions of fate and soulmates. My intent was not to hurt you,” Claudien called out. “Do you not remember when we went apple picking? You fell from the ladder and I had caught you but in that millisecond before you strayed too far from my arms. I had an intrusive thought that day. That if I could not get you in time I’d just be set aflame in that moment so that I might be with you again. I beg of you, stop this madness before you cause untold damage to us and to our star!”

Y’zel opened his once aether-blue eyes now a bright crimson. He smiled, a tear rolling down his cheek before advancing forward toward them. 

“Do not worry, my love. You will never have to fear that loneliness again…” 

[cinisemperium]

@laxusthelightning cont. from here

Natsu swears that vein is going to bust right out of his forehead every time he talks to Laxus. Here he was, trying to crack a joke and make the other feel better because he was so lost in thought even Natsu had noticed, and he gets treated like a maid?

"Excuse me? I ain't a bartender, Zappy," he snaps back, irritation visible on every crease of his face. When the sassy comeback doesn't elicit a response either, some of the irritation slips away and he takes a step closer. He may not be the most observant member of the guild, but he knew that look. Distant, haunted. The kind of look that said you'd seen more than someone should. It happened far too often to the higher ranked mages of the guild.

"Laxus, man. You good? You're thinking so hard over here it's making my head hurt."