Optimism feld with minute instances, as the challenge damned us to keeping our last place spot, in luck and in my own ire, Team B hadn't dropped from second as they had been in the preliminaries- but Sabertooth was keeping high. No one was elevated by the news, anger was demeaning as Raventail presented themselves true to the rumours spread within the guild. I don't know where their guildmaster had hidden himself amongst the crowd, and if I did the urge to stop my feet from running there was nonexistent as the urge to kick the man out of the arena was too strong. No positive bias cast his way, Laxus's father or not, he had no ringing mercy from me. Still, with anger waning with my lack of capacity to take revenge, it makes me question what type of man Ivan was. His son doesn't mention him, gives no credit to him, and as far as I'm aware speaking of him is somewhat taboo when my boyfriend's ears are nearby. There was a deeper layer then, and even if I'm not the best at figuring out mysteries -in any situation- if it involves the tall blond man I feel that I should at least know something. I could feel my own glare upon Raventail weaken for that same reason, though not significantly.

.o0o.

Pouting, it is ridiculous, an abstract sight I am not certain even my eyes can accept the obscurity, I've been staring at the figure in the corner of the bar for five minutes at least, and still the sight was hardly registering with me. On occasion, Grey would grit his teeth, and I can only tell that because his cheeks twitched, only just visible from where he had hidden his face behind his leg and lank hair. Other then that though, the man was just ignoring his surroundings, its annoying and I want to just go up and punch him in his face for a type of reaction. Almost everyone else was staring at him in pity, some type of sympathy even though they hadn't done so with Lucy in result to her loss was irritating, he'd taken his failure far worse. Really, I think he just needs a good slap on the face and some serious comprehension shoved in his face; because no matter what his frosted thoughts told him, no one within the guild is resentful or irritated at his preformance. The only thing blocking me was the small fraction of my mind that told me that he should be left to gather himself- that and the table. It was only when the wood creaked beside me and a gloved hand that snapped my attention away from the man. Instead, to stare once more at Gajeel's smirking mug as he gazed down at me, leaning on the table, the sight was unwelcome, but even I can admit it is attractive to me; his obvious arrogance and smug demeanour does set a small spark in my stomach, and I detest it. I scowl at his visage, because he does not belong standing above me like that.

"Don't tell me Grey is your boyfriend salamander." It was said laughingly, a little tilt in his voice telling me that he was in no way serious. I would have mocked him for him, by implying otherwise, if I could gather the will to- if it were anyone else he was speaking of; the bile in my throat at the fact does have me lurching over the to the side though. Therein causing the iron slayer to let out a rather subdued chuckle, bastard knew that I would gag. Glaring at him doesn't take much effort with that knowledge, he snorts. "C'mon, I'm not that stupid idiot, but jeez that was funny." A sound rises out of my throat at that, and though I don't know what, he only raises an eyebrow and continues to look obnoxious. He turns forward, full on in my line of sight both his hands resting on the wood, amusement still in his expression, but faded. "Seriously though, stop staring at him, you ain't doing any good, making it worse I'd say." Looking to my friend in the corner, I hate to agree with Steel, even if its obvious he's right, I feel myself flinch as I get up from the bench- knee, jerking towards the corner; because I want to do something, but there isn't anything to do. I allow myself to follow the guy-who-has-a-crush-on-me back to where everyone else has gathered and trying to make cheerful.

As expected, Cana is drunk, Master being right beside her though both of them are responding very differently to the alcohol. Elfman is shouting about masculinity being vital in everything and how we should fight even harder for the sake of our pride -which makes me want to fight less just to damn the concept.- Mirajane is calmly making drinks and saying easy optimistic sentences to placate those who order, or who are near her. What is odd, however, is Erza, Lisanna and Lucy just off to the side; the former two speaking very seriously by all appearances to Lucy, whose eyes are flickering back and forth between the two women and the door across the room; she's sweating rather heavily and her cheeks are so pink one would think she is attempting to cook something on them. Quickly though, as I watch, not really moving anymore with my observance. She crosses her arms and shakes her head so hard all while saying the word 'no' really fast- though I cannot hear her with the buzz of the others around it, the lip movement is rather obvious. There isn't much more to do, so with lazy step I walk towards them, curiosity at the back of my mind, with the blonde being that adamantly against something.

Approaching them it was plain that some annoyance was lingering, but so was mild amusement; intergraining into me as Lisanna was grasping Lucy's shoulders with tears in her eyes, seemingly begging. Erza appeared more serious however, or at least more serious in that she wanted to make a good case instead of begging. I had to snort at the thought, seeing the redhead begging would break my mind and probably most in the guild would faint. In the face of Lisanna's watering blue eyes and desperate pleas her firm stance was weakening and her own brown irises were flickering back and forth between the two women in front of her. Just as I was about to walk within their sightline however, my blood freezes over and that cold is more uncomfortable then normal.

"You guys, I am so not helping you to set-up Laxus, forget it." Though she spoke it, her words were not entirely convicted, her stance was weak in comparision to what I had seen with her previous denial. Once again that night, I have to force my knee still, my legs tensed so much it is painful, nails are in my palms and I know I have a snarl on my face. Still, I do turn around, and spotting my targets I slam my way over to the center of the room where Wendy looks to be in a rather comfortable conversation with Bisca; I suppose I'm not nice when I grasp her wrist -rather hard- and pull her along with me. She does makes a squeak of protest, but does not fight me otherwise as I crash my way over to where Gajeel is conversing -rather boredly- with a blushing -but excited- Levy. I cannot pull him along as Wendy, so I shove my hand into his back and glare at him in hope that he gets the message. There is more then two corners in the bar after all, and it is one free and private where a controversial topic would not be heard. He grunts behind my and Wendy's advanced party but at the same time his heavy footfalls are obvious on the hardwood.

I let go of the younger's wrist and wait with both of them staring at me, the smaller dragonslayer staring at me with a concerned expression, contrasting against Gajeel's annoyed one. So I start right away before either of them leave. "Do you two get this whole, masculine, feminine thing or is it just me?" Wendy blinks wide while iron-head looks to the side with a small glare. A sputter sounds from Wendy and both me and Gajeel turn to stare at her as she squirms slightly in place.

"I thought it was just me... I- I don't really get it." Her voice is soft and nervous, but she does look rather serious in front of both of us despite her rather tepid nature. Gajeel doesn't sputter, naturally, he grunts and then spits to the side as if something nasty had landed on his tongue.

"I mean, I kind of get it, but not really. Seems fucking stupid to me." He shoves his hands into his pocket, something close to a grimace on his face as his brows are drawn down almost as a ninety-degree angle. In front of me, the youngest among us is fiddling with her hands a lot. "I mean, personally, I don't like dresses or skirts or makeup and all that shit, I just don't, but so what if I did? I don't get why the hell it matters, I'm the person, not what I look like- and its fucked to hell that it does." Beside him Wendy is flushed scarlet, but I don't understand why.

"I- I- I just, I don't want anyone to hate me if I decide to look different one day then I do the other... and- and, sometimes I want to tie my hair back and wear different clothes, but- but-" Tears then spring forth, falling down her cheeks as she begins to sob as if broken, right in front of me. She brought her hands up clutching at her dress and promptly attempting to wipe away her tears with the fabric, snot smearing over the soft cloth in addition, her entire body shaking. Gajeel moved before I did, because to be honest I had felt a shiver down my side- wondering if I had been the one to cause her to burst into sobs. But instinct moved me quickly and then I, along with the iron-bastard were holding her inbetween us as her crying disrupted the air around us. Watching the man who had just today been asking me to give him a blowjob, give the youngest member of Fairytail a kiss on the head; while surreal, did not surprise me in the least, even to me, it was obvious that the man did have a soft side- if well concealed. Both of us were comforting her between us, and her shaking was subsiding into the occasional hiccup; perhaps in copying, but not by design, I press a kiss onto her cheek. The sound of her soft, sniffling, laugh has both of us standing once more, gaining a simper in turn, it made me smile to see her a little better. Red rimmed eyes are wiped before she walks off and out of the bar, no doubt tired after emotional upheaval.

I glance beside me, red irises are watching her too, no smirk in place, his expression was extremely pinched. I continue to stare at him, just a tingle at the back of my mind telling me to bring up something in a slight controversion to what we had just been talking about. "Think we don't get it because we're different?- I mean, our bodies." He shifts his eyes to me before they look back to where they had been, seemingly disinterested.

"No. Sure we can get knocked up- but I don't see what that would have to do with shit. I've known women who have gone against things, wearin' whatever the hell this fucked up society calls 'masculine clothing.'" He stretches out the words with a slight growl in undertone. "Far as I know they didn't have dicks. What they did have was a whole lot of crap for it-" He coughed, a large twitch to his figure, and it makes me fully face him.

"-One of em' -a friend; got pregnant- some type of one-nighter, I don' give a fuck. She got a whole lot of bitching for it, one bullshit line I heard was 'aw manly girl you finally coming back to your own, bit late for that isn't it ya freak? Your kid gonna be the same, maybe a slut like you too.'" I flinch, something terrible settling down in my stomach, a burning anger for a woman I've never met, dread dripping down too. But not caring about whatever I looked like with that news, he continued on, blazing forwards in the way only I'm supposed to. "She killed herself, six months along, and their malice pushed her over." My teeth grit, I couldn't imagine doing the same, but yet, I understand it, I know why she would've, and that makes it a little worse inside my head. "I have no want to ever carry a kid myself, I never will; just like I have no desire to get fucked- but I don't give a shit that other people want to. Because it ain't any of my, and it ain't any of their, business." He faces me then, and I grin at him, both of us are sporting tears under our lashes because of his story. Still there's nothing else to say, and I don't think he wants to say anything else either; I give him a nod though, he's a pain for sure, but at least he gets it, at least he's not a complete asshole.

.o0o.

Laxus had already left the room when I re-enter, and really, I would rather be in his company then anyone else's with my mood. The man was definitely a product of popular opinion, but at the same time his mind was opening up away from what he had grown up with. Thus, his presence would be far more soothing then my comrades- though I love and respect them, most would hold the same type of thinking that us separately raised Dragonslayers could not comprehend. An idea is flowing swiftly through my head, a slight idiotic, but not horrible by any stretch and it actually excites me to consider it; and I might be grinning a bit too wide as I spot the familiar long coat and hair practically glowing under the street lights. I run forward, but he obviously notices me and well- with my speed, as he turns to face me- I slam right into his side. I'm a little jealous that it actually kind of hurts, because damn he's ripped- I squirm at the fact, pants all of a sudden uncomfortable with the thought. He snorts above me, and I glare into his smug orange gaze, because he could be less mocking- still, its simply him to be, so my smile remains as I grasp his forearm and pull him forward, hearing him stumble behind me is a pleasant bonus.

"I had an idea!" It isn't much of an explanation, but I don't think he really needs one, he doesn't actually need to do anything- really I just want him by my side at the moment. As it he's grumbling behind me he doesn't attempt to remove my arm from his grasp, nor try to get me to let go. I let the giggle rise from my throat at that, those amazing bubbles returning.

The shop then comes into view, and he stumbles once again as I pull at him to speed up.