Juvia
She kind of liked the morning when it was still dark. Then, the blue and mauve ink under her tired eyes would be swirling around in the sky instead.
Juvia didn't understand why people liked to mention hair colour and eye colour and such when describing each other. People were born with those characteristics, and they meant nothing. What was worth noting was how worn out the eyes looked, how rough their hands were, how faded their smile was.
"Excuse me, my dear. You're standing in the way." Makarov startled Juvia, and she let out a little squeak as she moved out of the doorway so that the man could pass.
Makarov had tired, worn out eyes and rough, worked hands, but his smile had not faded. They may have sad distant eyes tugging them up at the corners, but he still meant every one.
"Hey, Juvia." She looked down the cottage's porch at Gray, who had an extra dark aura of storm clouds following him this morning. Although he was usually a quiet, contemplative man with no wasted words, this morning he had woken up extra irritable and impatient. He didn't waste a single moment gathering all his belongings to head off and meet Ur and Lyon, early and before the sun rose as promised.
"Uh, yes?" Juvia jumped a little at the sterness of Gray's voice, clenching her elbows into her sides.
"If you're coning then don't just dawdle in the doorway. We don't have time to waste. Here." Gray roughly jerked a black bag towards her, seemingly made of durable material with a black matte. When Juvia hesitated and questioned the gesture, Gray answered bluntly. "Grab it."
She hopped down the stairs, passing Makarov on his slow journey descending before slinging the bag over her back, imitating Gray. "This is quite light. Is their nothing in the bag?"
Gray shook his head, waving at Makarov as he approached. "Nope. We'll be stopping at a village sometime tonight and we need as many bags as possible to carry food and supplies and stuff. For the journey."
Juvia still had no idea where they were journeying too, what the purpose was, and exactly with whom they were travelling with besides the names of the mysterious Ur and Lyon. However, Gray was going and she had come all this way to follow him.
"Hey, Gray?" She said cautiously, taking care not to call him the "d" word which was darling. Especially when he was in such an irritable mood.
Gray simply glanced at her, only angling his head slightly in her direction. Juvia knew that it meant he was listening, since he wasted no energy and meant every little motion.
"Umm, Gray, Juvia is very sorry to trouble you in asking, but she does not understand. Why do you so suddenly want Juvia coming with you?" She fiddled with her fingers in front of her, thinking back to the dark attic they had been sleeping in earlier that morning.
-
"Juvia. I remember. I'm leaving this morning. Come with me."
Gray's breathe had tickled her ear as she lay under blankets on the floor curled in a ball, eyes closed. By the time she blinked her heavy eyes open, the only thing left of Gray was the sounds of his steps down the creaking stairs and the doubt if Juvia had heard right, or if she was dreaming in her lucid state.
-
After that, Gray had said nothing besides blunt orders as he prepared to leave Makarov's cottage. Not having anything to do tortured her as well- whenever she had empty space in her mind, it was filled with wondering what Gray meant.
He remembers? Does that mean he believes me? Does that mean he remembers when he almost drowned, that the voice from then belongs to me?
"Why do I want you coming with me? Where else can you go? I can't just leave you all alone here."
"Pardon the second question, but where exactly are you going?"
"I'm pretty sure I told you this already. Weren't you paying attention?"
Juvia shook her head. She was positive Gray had not, in fact, told her, but their was no point in arguing. "I am sorry you have to repeat yourself."
"I'm a carpenter. Or, at least an apprentice. Every year, Ur takes Lyon and I around the region to villages, looking for work. We're on our way back to our home town. Dresdené."
"Dresdené? Isn't that a village on top of the mountain?"
"Yeah. It's a lot nicer then here too. For one it's almost always snowing. Much nicer than rain. And their's solid, not pools of water on the ground like you see every damn place you look here." Gray scoffed, looking at a puddle of water by his feet in distaste. Little tadpools swam in the murky pool, and Juvia felt a rush of affection for the children.
"Juvia quite likes the rain. All life needs water, and you don't have to take life from others to obtain it." She heard a noise of surprise from Gray as she bent down to dip her fingers in the puddle, swarms of tadpools gathering around and nipping at her fingers. "You're tickling your mom." She giggled, pulling her hand out and sending the mud swirling in the water.
Gray
She looked like a child playing in the mud, huddled down and swishing her hands in a puddle. He marvelled at how all the tadpoles gravitated towards her and her gentle aura.
After Aquarius visited him last night, and he remembered, Gray felt guilty for perceiving Juvia as a crazy woman. Juvia, who he now saw as a gentle quirky soul. Juvia, the one who saved his life. Juvia, the Godess if the Ocean he should be paying respect to.
She seemed so normal though. Well, not in all ways. She was quite odd in nature. However, she didn't seem like how he would imagine a celestial being at all. She wasn't glorious, ethereal and majestic on such a grand scale that Gray would have envisioned a Goddess would be like. She was just a person who was from somewhere very different.
She was beautiful like the stories, though, something he embarrassingly had to admit.
Gray's feelings were so mixed and confused, that he didn't completely understand. What he did understand, was that now that Gray knew who Juvia was, he didn't have a clue how to talk to her.
So he just adressed her whenever it was absolutely necessary and tried to be monotone. However, he was pretty sure it came out harsh.
"My boy." Makarov hobbled over to Gray, walking past the form of Juvia huddled byvtue puddle. Each shaky step he took made Gray nervous; the old man's bones looked like they coul crack under their own weight any time soon. "You're always so keen to please Ur, eh?"
"I just don't want to keep her waiting." Gray glanced up at the sky, noticing the inky mauve was beginning to be diluted with a lighter shade. Sunrise would be soon. "Look, I hate to cut you short, but I gotta go."
"Of course. I just wanted to see you off. It'll be a whole year before you can come back to visit. I'll try to find something on the shack that needs repairs."
"The whole damn thing needs to be scrapped." Gray muttered. "Y'know, I really think you should move to the village gramps. It's a lot safer and would make me relieved."
"I've alreasy told you my answer to that."
"Their's no way to convince you?"
Makarov just shook his head tiredly. "I thought you said you were going to be late, son."
The trees moaned with the cold wind, sighing for Gray. This cottage was damp with memories, and wood rotted when it sat in humidity for too long. "Well, I guess that's it. Time to go, then."
"Hold on." Makarov shakily held up a bundle of silk cloth wrapped up loosely and sloppily. "Juvia dear, come see." He called over to the girl, and in a heartbeat she had risen to her feet and joined them, droplets of water falling on the grass from her wet hand. The grass was already wet with cold morning dew, anyways.
Juvia gave a humm as Makarov untied the silk cloth. It was a deep shade of indigo and embroidered with tiny silver birds and specks that appeared to be as beautiful and faint as stardust.
"It's tea leaves." He said, revealing the contents of the silk. A tundra of various sprigs of dried out flower blossoms, herbs and leaves. "This one- here. This one is Valerian root. It's good in tea to put you to sleep."
"The scent is quite pleasant on Juvia's palette." Her cheeks grew rosy as she apparently wafted the scent in.
"Yes." Makarov answered. "I noticed you seemed to enjoy the tea last night, so I thought I'd give you some. Here- each bundle has a different kind."
A smile grew on Gray's lips at the sight of Juvia's eyes widening to the size of saucers at the simple act of generosity, and the sound of her ferverently thanking the old man. She seemed to be an easily excitable person. "Here, Juvia, do you want to carry them in your bag?"
Juvia gave an over exaggerated nod of her head, blue strands of hair falling into her twinkling eyes. She may have an intellectual and wise mind, but at heart she was really a child.
Gray felt kind of guilty for being short with her all morning. "All right, turn around. I'll put them in." When she obediently did as he said, he slipped the ivory button of the bag open and placed the bundles of tea from Makarov's hand one by one at the bottom. The task was made difficult, however, by the fidgeting Juvia.
"Would you sit still?" He snapped at her, yanking on the bag.
"Juvia is sorry! She's just so excited to be carrying tea for her Gray."
This girl was ridiculous.
"All right. All set. Guess we better set off." Slate grey cracked through the dark sky like the surface of shattered porcelain, and Gray knew they couldn't delay any longer if he was to meet Ur in time.
"Thanks for paying this lonely old man a visit." Makarov placed a bony hand on Gray's shoulder, shaded eyes holding Gray's gaze. "It means a lot."
"You had money to pay me for fixing up your porch, and so I came." Gray shrugged. Another chilly breeze peeled wet leaves off of the ground, making Gray's lungs cold as he breathed in the scent of damp earth.
Makarov didn't really need Gray to come fix stuff up for money. Nevertheless, Makarov always made sure he had both as a reason for calling Gray over for a few nights every year when he visited the area. It was an unspoken agreement.
Makarov was the grandfather Gray never had and Gray was as his grandson.
"Work hard at your job, son. Make Ur proud. Don't let Lyon get to you."
"Everything pisses Lyon off. It's not me who starts stuff."
"...and start using nicer language. Don't talk foul with such a pretty lady around." Gray grit his teeth. He didn't need to be chastised. Juvia surely wasn't such a delicate little flower that he had to filter everything he said.
"Gray darling does not seem to use proper form or grammar when speaking. Maybe this is something he could strive to improve upon? Not that Juvia thinks he is less than perfect." Juvia covered her pink lips with the sleeve of the too-long cobalt robe makarov had given her, probably clothing from his late wife.
"The way I talk is like a normal person should. Nobody talks like their a literature narrative, or talks about themselves like they're another person."
"Are you perhaps reffering to the way Juvia talks in third person? Is Juvia's way of speech really odd? She thought this was how people talked."
"It's kind of odd. You're gonna get some people thinking you're a freak if you keep talking like that." Gray didn't really mean to phrase it that harshly. He just had a hard time thinking of how to express himself to others on the spot.
"Ah, my dear, don't listen to him." Makarov interrupted their mini conversation, strolling closer to Juvia. It wasn't like his speech was any better. The old man had a penchant for calling everybody things like 'dear' and 'son' and 'boy' every other sentence.
"No, Juvia wants to speak in the manner of speech that is most commonly used. Perhaps I will pick it up when I hear commoners use everyday language more."
"I hope you don't copy Gray's language. Swearing every sentence isn't very becoming." He reached out for Juvia's hands, cupping them in between his as Juvia furrowed her eyebrows, which Gray guessed was because she was evaluating his speech mannerisms. Being analyzed felt... unsettling.
"Enough of that. It's time you get going." Makarov suddenly said, sensing Gray's impatience as he shifted his weight on both feet. "I'm kind of jealous that the fair guardian of the Juvia Ocean me and my wife loved is running off with this unappreciative boy, but I guess I'm blessed and appreciative to have met the fair maiden myself."
Juvia's eyes widened, and made a soft sound from inhaling the cold air. The girl lowered herself to the ground, kneeling to meet the short man's gaze. "No sir, Juvia is no fair maiden. Not someone who is particularly remarkable to meet. She is just one whom had fondly cared for her ocean children. However, sir," she paused briefly, biting her lip as if pondering the wording, "I must thank you for always overlooking my ocean with your wife throughout the years. It was nice to have your company among my shoreline."
The silence through the next few moments rang through the air, and wasn't very silent. It was filled with mixed thoughts and emotions from all three, who had much to think about and ways to decide to perceive them through their own life experiences.
"My wife Priscilla never liked other people. She much preferred the life in nature, and she was drawn to your Ocean. I think she felt she had a connection with you, the story of the water Goddess, who lived in solitude and devoted her life to gently caring for the balance of those around her. Can I ask why you want to leave that life? Why you want to leave behind your home and your children? With out your spirit in the Ocean, this old man will truly be alone in this cottage." A red tint stained Makarov's eyes, highlited by the salt water pooling in them and classing over.
"You won't be alone." Juvia felt her voice quiver slightly, at seeing one else in pain, at the fear of not being able to answer why she was about to throw everything away for a person she didn't really know. "You won't be alone. Juvia's friends- they are still here, watching over the Ocean for Juvia. They would appreciate you overlooking the Ocean as well. Especially Pisces. She used to love the camelia petals you scattered over the Ocean waves."
"Those camelia flowers were a gift to you, as well as a tribute to my wife who loved them so much."
"Juvia appreciates that so much- however, please stop doing so. It's a shame to kill such beauty for a simple thing Luke that. I'm sure Juvia's friends would be appreciative if you just watched the Ocean's waves, and acknowledged their presence."
Makarov simply nodded, and Juvia rose to her feet. The silk cibaly robe was covered in wet leaves at the knees now, but Juvia didn't seem to preoccupied with that currently. "I'll keep overlooking the Ocean then- for you. I'll guard it in your presence, and keep it dear to me as much as you and my wife did."
"Thank you." Was the only answer that could be said, carrying more gravity in it's words than any long winded sentence.
"Take care, gramps." Was Gray's simple last word, heavy with all of it's meaning.
Makarov stood back, nodded at the two, and bade them farewell. It almost felt a little wrong to just say goodbye and just simplybturn their backs away from the cottage, walking down the road, with so much sentimental thoughts hanging in the air, but what was their to do other than continue on with their lives?
///A/N
Thank you guys so much for 800 + reads c': i honestly never that I'd get over 12. It's amazing to think that just last week I was going to thank you for 600 when: wham! this story reached 800. Actually, I've started a new fanfic for all you akatsuki no yona (yona of the dawn) fans that I'll be putting up soon, called mixtapes. I'd appreciate it if you read it!
+ new coverrrerr
++since it's finally my summer break, expect updates weekly? no promises since this isn't the first time i've said that though.