Fairy Tail: Next Generation - Followers Specials

Christmas Special - Jude in Christmasland

Early winter, seven days before Christmas, Jude was in the midst of his Christmas shopping.

Despite how he looked and acted throughout the rest of the year, Jude took Christmas very seriously. Not in a fun jolly kind of way, more in an if this goes wrong we all die kind or way.

Jude, unfortunately, had a total of six siblings, three of which were just babes, and he had to buy each of them a present (and his parents) or he would be forced to wear the Christmas Onesie. He had been forced to wear it once before, and it was the worst thing he'd ever experienced. 

For this reason, Jude would always work to buy two sets of gifts for everyone, just in case someone had forgotten a gift, therefore wouldn't have to suffer the same fate he did. 

His mom was helping him finish shopping, as well as helping her shop for his dad. They were in a department store, which was stuffed with other frantic shoppers, looking over a table of button-up shirts. It didn't help that along with a cart full of gifts for the family, they were pushing around a stroller full of three infants. 

Lucy was holding one of these shirts and a tie to go with it as Jude watched in confusion, "Mom," he said, "I don't think dad would really like something like this." 

"Oh, I know," Lucy sighed, folding the shirt back up to put it in her cart, "you see, every year I get him a present that he'd actually like, and one I want him to have." She started pushing the cart away from the men's department and into the kid's one. "So this year, I'm giving him a shirt and tie, because your dad tore his last nice white shirt during Erza's last dinner party, and for a gift he actually wants," she stopped right by the kid's toy aisle and pulled the largest water gun off the shelf and dropped it into her cart, "a water gun. He's a simple man, but that has its perks during the holidays." 

She then moved a few feet over to pull off a bunch of tiny squirt guns, which were tiny in comparison to the water gun Natsu was getting. Jude made a face, "You're getting him four other water pistols?" 

"Oh, no," Lucy shook her head, "these are for you guys," Jude made a face, noticing the variation in size from his dad's water gun and what would eventually be his own. "I'm sorry, but your dad just likes to feel powerful...he's a small man in the end." 

"Yeah...no kidding," Jude muttered. 

 Lucy sighed, pulling out her list to cross off what she'd just gathered. Lucy was almost done with all her shopping, thankfully. For Nashi, she got her a new pair of shoes (something she needed) and an LBox with two games (something she wanted). For Liddan, a self-help book on balancing anger and other emotions (something he needed) and a sword sharpening kit (something he wanted). Layla got a shirt that doesn't show her belly (something she needed) and a stationary set completed with twelve different colored pens and a journal (something she wanted). 

Jude's present she hadn't purchased yet, as almost every time she went out to shop, Jude would tag along with her. It was a bit inconvenient, but she was thankful he was there to push the triplets so she could just push the cart. 

"Why don't you go find something for the triplets while you're here." 

"What? I can't get them a present now, they'd know what they were getting." 

"Jude," Lucy looked at her youngest children, then her son, "they're...like...9 months old, their brains are so underdeveloped they can hardly remember what they did this morning, let alone what you bought them for Christmas." 

"Fine," Jude grumbled, "but I don't know what I can afford after buying Nashi that rice cooker..." 

"Yes, and I'm sure she'll love that," Lucy muttered, swinging her head to the side as she wondered what influenced her son to buy such practical gifts, "but kids are easier and typically cheaper, just get them a doll, or a game, or something they can gnaw on and they'll be fine. Oh, maybe get them a book."