solnet | ⚜ i ︙ accidental video / action for Mavis

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⚜ i ︙ accidental video / action for Mavis

It's finished.

{ Many may have been wondering where Zeref and Mavis had disappeared to. Zeref's cellphone appears to have been unceremoniously tossed aside, but the camera was just in range to see what the two had been working on all of this time.

It appeared to be a to-scale model of the castle, or at least, the discovered parts of it. Some parts of the castle had small, black pieces of fabric thrown over them, representing the darkness-infested parts of the castle. The rest were left only with their sanded, wood surfaces. Zeref and Mavis' room was marked with an X. But perhaps most telling, was that the 'floor' of the model was colored with black and white checkered boxes, almost like a chess board, with various objects from their room acting as 'pieces' for the board.

Zeref moved over to the model, and knelt down. He motioned across from him, for Mavis to join him. Near their beds were massive stacks of books, including one that was placed directly on Zeref's bedside table, propped up against the wall behind it; and another that was left right next to the model as if someone had been reading it while working on it at the same time. There were two pieces in particular on the board, kept isolated from the rest on the X space representing their room, as if pains had been taken to ensure they don't get close to the cacophonous mass of other pieces near the altar room. }

Now... do you remember what I told you, about how to view this place as opposed to our own world?

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[Mavis is leaning over the model and observing it with rapt attention. She nods at his question.]

Yes. Winning is about keeping interactions with other pieces to a minimum. And sticking together.

[Granted it's just the beginning of what's different between this place and their own world.]

That's right. And remember: No game is won without sacrificing pieces.

{ He's never heard of a game of chess won without losing a single piece. It simply didn't happen. It was impossible. }

Death is meaningless in worlds like this. We learned that before. They'll come back as if nothing had happened. So in that regard, don't panic if somebody dies.

I know.

[She did know that for a fact indeed. She'd seen more wars than a girl who looked that young should have. It did not made her happy, it did not made her sad either. That's just something she'd learnt to accept. That's why her curse took so long to kick in back there in their home world.

What Zeref said next brought a small smile to her lips. She knew how much the Black Wizard hated Ankhseram and for a very good reason. So being able to say that death was meaningless here probably brought him no small amount of satisfaction.

Mavis puffed out her chest a bit.]

We did. And don't forget you're talking to the first guild master of Fairy Tail. It takes a lot for me to panic.

I'm completely aware. I've never underestimated you, and never will.

{ Hence his opening move in the invasion of Fiore; force her to tip her hand early with a feint, and then move in his main forces to demoralize Fairy Tail. He knew sheer numbers weren't going to be enough, not against Mavis Vermillion. But then, that's what made their game fun, wasn't it? }

Good. Then, do you have anything to add? I didn't build this model completely by myself.

Edited 2016-07-31 01:28 (UTC)

[Mavis had to blush at that. For all that opposed them - mainly their respective faith in the human kind and lack thereof - they respected each other.

Mavis had always felt a special bond with Zeref, and not just because of the Contradiction Curse. And even after all those years, she still cared deeply for him. More than she was willing to admit.]

Let me see...

[She leaned over him and over the model once more. It was true, it was not just his project, it was theirs. They'd been working on it together every step of the way. Building this model had been so much fun.]

Well I guess we need to add the new arrivals and start investigating on the castle's surroundings.

{ He saw that blush, and it took a conscious effort to suppress his own. Mavis was one of the very few people in the world worthy of his respect. Half of the others aren't even human, to put that into perspective.

He cared just as much for her. Her guild, though? ... Not so much. }

We do. Fortunately, as small as the castle is, I've noticed that these new arrivals appear the same every month. That added bit of predictability will make it easier to avoid the Curse affecting them.

Edited 2016-07-31 03:02 (UTC)

[Mavis nodded.] I've noticed that too. The number of new arrivals remains unpredictable, though.

Why do you think they only appear at a certain time every month? Could it be some kind of summoning ritual? [She was still not sure how they both ended up here to beginning with.]

What about the castle's surroundings? Have you thought of any strategy on how we should go about exploring them?

There is only slightly more order to this world than Genessia. Regularity in the time in which new arrivals appear doesn't necessarily mean that there must be a specific cause. That said...

{ He sighs. }

The Queen of Darkness controls this castle, but can't stop the summons. Her power here is not absolute. If there is indeed a ritual... It is performed in a place neither she nor we can reach.

{ Zeref shook his head at that. }

Every time they seized more ground in the castle from the Queen, it was a coordinated attack. You and I know better than most that discretion is the better part of valor.

Mmm. That's probably true.

[She pondered this a moment.] Do you think you and me could defeat her? Together?

You know... I've been thinking of a unison raid we could try to make work... If you'd be up for it. [She sounded almost shy all of a sudden, as if she considered the combined spell Something very intimate for two people to share.]

I can't know until we meet her, face to face. Trying to gauge the magical power of another is far more difficult from a distance, and what little we can learn from this far away is not likely to be accurate.

{ But what she says next took him by surprise. A... Unison Raid? That wasn't possible with anybody except those with whom you share a strong bond. The fact that she even thinks it's possible between them must mean... }

Mavis... You... Really think we could?

{ It was true, then. What was happening in their world truly didn't matter to her. That was the best thing he could have ever hoped to hear from her. }

[A nod.] I guess we're bound to meet her someday, eventually. The best we can do is try to be as prepared as we can for when that day comes.

[His question is enough to bring the blush back to her cheeks, even darker than before.

It's not that what happened didn't matter to her. But deep down, she couldn't help but think that if she hadn't died on that day, things could have turned out very differently. They could have thought Acnologia side by side instead of having a three-way fight.

And she... didn't know if the bond between them was still as strong as it was before or could be restored, but part of her hoped it was. She knew for a fact that working on that model during all those months had brought them closer than they were when they arrived. So, logically, working on this Unison Raid would too.

She braced herself, looking him in the eye again.] I think it's worth a try, don't you?

[It meant they would have to trust each other utterly and completely again. But if they did manage to make it work, it could be incredible in more ways than one.]

Edited 2016-08-01 01:27 (UTC)

It is a day many in this castle seek, I suspect.

{ Zeref knew many in this castle had a bone to pick with her. He wasn't the only one, and neither, for that matter, was she. He may not enjoy fighting nearly as much as his brother, but his infamy as the dreaded Black Wizard was well-earned.

But that conversation was quickly forgotten with Mavis' next words. She wanted to give it a try... Which meant that she thought they were close enough for it to be possible. Her blush was mirrored by his own. It nearly brought a tear to his eye. After all that they'd been through... }

Yes... Yes, I would like that too, Mavis.

Let's do it, then.

[Seeing him blush too, this time, was a relief. She was trying to act tough and pragmatic, but his reaction showed that, just like her, he didn't see that just as another strategy.

For a moment, time stopped and it was as if they were standing in that forest in Magnolia again. Just before he leaned in and...

Mavis' stomach growled softly, shaking her out of her daze. She looked a bit sheepish.]

But before we start working on that, I think we need to eat something.

[It was not unusual for them to skip meals, focused as they were on finishing their model. But now, for this new project, they were going to need all the energy they could get.]

Yes. Let's.

{ The probability that the sheer destructive power of such a unison raid between two of the most powerful wizards of their world could cause damage to the castle doesn't even register to him. He's just letting the idea that she wants to try a Unison Raid - something only possible when the bonds between two wizards are at their strongest - sink in. It's a warm feeling. One he hasn't felt since...

The sound of her stomach growling snapped him out of a very similar daydream. He hadn't even noticed that he was hungry as well. He nodded, and reached for his device. }

Yes... Let's go. Or did you want to cook?

{ There was no question which of the two of them was the better cook, after all. }

[She shrugged at his question, offering him a big genuine smile.] I don't mind cooking.

[She knew how to cook before they got here. Where you've been living on an island with someone who can't cook because they're just a figment of your imagination, you kinda have to learn. And here, since they tried to keep their interactions with others to a minimum, she had had lots of opportunities to perfect her skills.]

What are you in the mood for?

{ Zeref had spent a good amount of time alone, as well, but there was simply no comparison between his cooking and Mavis'. Setting the device back down, he turned back to her, talking a seat on the edge of the bed, folding his hands on his lap. }

Anything. You've yet to make something that I didn't enjoy, Mavis.

{ There must have been a few cookbooks in that library on Tenroujima. Mavis knew more recipes than most of the royal chefs in Vistarion, and that's saying a lot. And she knew his tastes better than any of them. }

[It seemed he was doing everything to make her blush. And as a matter of fact she was blushing a bit right then. But she looked slightly smug too, because after all, he was saying the truth.

Her expression sobered a bit, though.]

I've noticed food resources seem to be getting low lately... I wonder why that is. [Clearly her unspoken question was: "I wonder what the Queen is up to this time.

Still the smile was quickly back on her face.] I shall do my best with what I find, though!

It isn't as if I'm a heavy eater, anyway.

{ He had to learn not to be, living along as long as he has. But when it came to her cooking, he had a big appetite. Still, what she said was a matter for concern. One that they would have to investigate, later. }

I have no doubt that you will.

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