𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨. sting eucliffe

11 | tears

♛♛♛ 

It wasn't too long a walk from the arena to the local bar. Only about ten or fifteen minutes and Ariana barely felt a thing. No pain from her legs or stomach as she walked, despite how intensely her exceed watched her. Their deal was with any fall or major stumble that she had, Presley was going to take her right back to her hospital room. 

The two had even gotten into a heated argument when Presley wanted to fly her to the nearby bar, but Ariana would not allow it. She argued that she needed the small exercise and mobility of walking and her being flown here wouldn't help her at all.

Whatever made her dragon slayer happy, and Presley complied to her wishes, flying by her side and keeping her wide brown eyes on her. 

It was a simple bar, though one that was packed full due to the popular Grand Magic Games that were being held so close to it. It was small and held a capacity of maybe 30 people, and a sign on the door read that it was a mages only bar. 

Ariana relied on the fact that all the guilds and their members returned to their respective areas for now, preparing for the big day ahead of them- the final day and the final battle was soon approaching them. She hoped that she wouldn't see anyone from the guilds she was competing against; them seeing her after knowing her condition and they would be sure to snitch on her. Right now, Ariana was relying on Wendy to keep her position a secret. 

"Guild?" she was asked at the door, a large burly bouncer occupying the front entrance. 

Jeez, they're really going full out of this mages only thing. She though to herself, but lifted her shirt anyways. 

She pulled her yellow shirt upwards, revealing the insignia that was tattooed on her middle/upper rib cage, circling under her breast. The man nodded in compliance and stood aside, taking her alliance to her guild as an acceptable entrance fee. 

She entered the room and heard the doors slam behind her. 

Ariana was used to going out to an bar with her guildmates- being here by herself was making her feel out of her element. Right not especially she was missing Cana, her usual drinking buddy and one of the only girls (besides Erza) that she could have a really good time with. 

A few eyes were on her. Maybe people there were out with their own groups and held no interest for a lonely mage. Presley leaned closer to her partner and landed quietly on her shoulder. 

Ariana walked casually over to an open stool, ordering a drink for herself and a soda for her exceed. When she was served the drink and finally starting to feel comfortable, Presley took the opportunity to fly herself into the stool next to her and used her tail to turn Ariana's face towards her.

"So you must know I heard your conversation with Eucliffe earlier." she confessed and her chocolate brown eyes gleaming with concern. 

Ariana huffed and swallowed up her drink. 

"Not interesting in talking about is Pres." she answered simply. 

"If not me then who?" it was a quick response and one that Ariana knew was true. Out of all her comrades, Presley was the only one who knew about her connection to Sting (or at least those she knew of- she knew maybe Erza or someone as observant as Makarov might've noticed as well). Nonetheless, right now it was Presley or no one. 

Though, she'd already gone over all the details in her head by herself and she came up with an answer, one that she wasn't going to change her mind about. 

"Right now I think I've decided I have to move on. I can't be with someone like him as long as he affiliates himself with that shitty guild." she told her exceed who nodded in understanding.