"The Master isn't here." Vivi said, frowning. "Seriously?"
Mirajane nodded her head as she set some drinks down on the table. Vivi sighed, scratching the back of her head. She had hightailed it back here with the others only to learn Makarov was gone.
"You just missed him actually." Mirajane said. "He left for that Guild Masters's conference in Clover."
Vivi had completely forgotten about that though she doesn't see how. The Master always makes sure to lecture his more troublesome children about making sure to behave before he leaves for anything like that. And she was sure he gave her the lecture within the last few days, but once again, she probably tuned him out.
"Is everything alright?" Mirajane asked. "It must be something important if you need the Master."
Vivi sighed, not sure how to explain. She wanted to talk to Makarov before worrying the others about it. She wasn't even sure it was the Lullaby. After all, it was hidden away somewhere in Fiore with a magical seal over it and everything. So it should be safe, right? Yeah, it had to be safe…but if it wasn't? She wished there was a way to check on it, but she didn't know what to do. She doesn't even know where it was sealed away. That information had been lost even amongst her family. So how did those punks know about it? She didn't like to admit it, but she couldn't do a thing until Makarov was back to help.
"I'll get back to you on that once the Master returns and I can speak with him." Vivi said. "I guess until then I have no choice, but to sit around here."
***
Vivi plucked strings on her guitar over at a table in Fairy Tail as everyone enjoyed the day. She thought about taking a quick job to pass the time, but nothing interested her, so here she was playing her guitar.
"So no luck in finding a job that interests you?" Cana, who was sitting with her, asked.
"Nope." Vivi said. "All of them seem pretty boring."
However, she's getting so bored around here that she might just take a small gig to pass the time until Makarov returns.
"You can't be so picky." Gray said as he joined them.
Vivi rolled her eyes though didn't grace him with a reply as she started up a song with her guitar.
"You can't find anything interesting?" Lucy asked Vivi. "What about hunting a volcano demon?"
"Been there, done that." Vivi said. "Natsu and Happy helped me out with it. Town was nearly destroyed during the fight."
Lucy looked at Vivi with wide eyes as Vivi continued playing her guitar as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Oh, Vivi, I'm sure you would find a job if you would be more open-minded about the requests." Mirajane said. "And if you do let me know because while the Master is away at the conference I'm filling in."
Vivi nodded her head though she knew she most likely wouldn't be taking a job today. She'd look tomorrow morning when fresh requests are posted.
"What kind of conference?" Lucy asked.
"One for guild masters." Mirajane explained. "Every once and a while they get together to talk about the state of things. It's like the Magic Council, but not."
Mirajane then borrowed a light pen from Reedus, so she could show Lucy in more detail how the guilds work and such. As she was doing that, everyone else continued on with their business.
"Wow, I didn't realize all the magical guilds were interconnected like that." Lucy said after Mirajane explained.
"It's very important we cooperate with each other otherwise our whole system would fall apart." Mirajane said.
Natsu came up behind Lucy to light up his face in a creepy way with a small flame.
"And then the men in black would show up." Natsu said creepily.
Lucy squealed in fear, which had Natsu busting out in laughter at the look on her face.
"Hahaha, that was almost too easy." Natsu said pleased with himself.
"Are you trying to scare me to death?" Lucy asked.
Mirajane wrote with the light pen once more to place a separate space for guilds that weren't part of the system.
"Seriously though, the guys Natsu are talking about exist." Mirajane said. "They're the dark guilds."
Vivi frowned at the mention of the dark guilds. She hated those punks.
"They've chosen not to join any of the leagues." Mirajane said. "They're the bad apples, and most of them are involved in magical crime."
Lucy frowned wondering why anyone would want to be a part of a guild like that.
"Anyway, don't stand around here." Vivi said. "Pick a job. You need the money, right?"
Lucy 'oh!'ed remembering what she had been doing before being sidetracked.
"Right, pick one already!" Natsu said grinning. "We need a new job."
"You've got to be kidding me." Lucy said. "What makes you think I want to do that?"
"Well, we are a team now, aren't we?" Natsu reminded her.
"Yeah, and we picked last time." Happy said. "It's your turn to pick, so get to it."
Lucy frowned at the two of them while not liking Happy's demanding tone at all.
"Just forget about it, Cat." Lucy said. "As far as I'm concerned, our team has been disbanded. Besides, it's not like you actually want me. You just needed me last time because I'm a blonde."
"Don't be ridiculous." Natsu said. "That's not the only reason we chose you. We picked you because you're so nice."
Lucy blushed a bit as she looked away from Natsu's grinning face feeling as if she might cave.
"Hey, Lucy, I wouldn't stay with those losers if I were you." Gray said. "You'll get plenty of offers from other teams."
"Gray, your clothes." Cana said.
He gasped looking down to see he was only in his underwear… again. Vivi shook her head. This problem of his really needed to be looked at.
"Jerk." Natsu said with a snort.
Gray turned to glare at the slightly younger boy before he got up to butt heads with Natsu.
"Did you just call me a jerk, Dragon-boy?" Gray asked.
"So what if I did?" Natsu asked. "What are you going to do about it?"
They started swinging insults at each other as Vivi finished off the rest of her drink. Lucy was watching them with a deadpanned expression before Loke walked up to her to put his arm around her shoulders.
"Why don't you just join the team of love, Lucy?" Loke asked. "Just the two of us tonight?"
"What?" Lucy asked.
"You're so stunningly gorgeous that I've got to keep my shades on to look at you, or I'll be blinded by your dazzling beauty." Loke flirted.
"Does that really work with girls?" Lucy asked, looking to Vivi.
"Just the bimbos that usually follow him around." Vivi said then gave Loke a teasing grin. "I guess trying harder to try and get a real woman is just too much work for him. Eh, Loke?"
Loke pouted at Vivi because she was always teasing him as he flirted with other women, or hitting him if he was flirting with her. Loke then noticed the keys hooked to Lucy's belt.
"You're not a Celestial mage, are you?!" Loke asked, freaked out.
"Yeah, she's got cows and crabs and stuff." Happy said over the fish he was munching on.
Loke let out a freaked out scream, which had people looking at him in concern or as if he was a weirdo.
"Curse you, Fate!" Loke shouted. "Why must you torture me so?! I'm sorry, my dear, but we can't be together!"
He then took off running right out of the guild. Vivi blinked after him. She'll never get used to his freak outs whenever he meets a Celestial mage.
"What got into him all of a sudden?" Lucy asked.
"Loke has a bad history with Celestial mages." Mirajane said. "Rumor is he dated one, and it didn't end very well."
Lucy was about to reply, but she was caught off guard when Natsu was thrown into her, which sent them into the floor.
"Why can't you two just knock it off?" Lucy grumbled to Natsu and Gray.
"Natsu started it." Gray said. "I'm just following through."
Gray was knocked hard in the back of the head with Vivi's guitar, which sent him rolling across the ground.
"And I'm finishing it." Vivi growled as she rested her guitar across her shoulder.
Gray growled, jumping up to his feet to glare at Vivi. The two of them bumped heads as Natsu flipped back onto his feet, and Lucy sighed when seeing Vivi and Gray arguing.
"Why are you always jumping to Natsu's defense?" Gray asked.
"Because he's my friend, ya icy pervert." Vivi replied. "Why, you jealous?"
"Tch, as if, ya blue-haired punk." Gray retorted.
"I think you are, ice boy." Vivi shot back.
"What's with those insults?" Lucy asked.
"They run out of them sometimes." Happy said. "Same goes for when Natsu and Gray butt heads."
When hearing Natsu's name, Gray remembered he still had a bone to pick with her Dragon Slayer friend. He turned his head to the side, and since he and Vivi had their foreheads pressed together, she fell on her face when he moved.
"Oaf!" She grunted.
"Oi, stupid, you hurt Vi!" Natsu growled as he and Gray went back to bumping heads.
"She's fine!" Gray snapped. "If something like that hurts her, she's wimpier than I thought."
Vivi's head shot up to glare at Gray with her eyes practically aflame in annoyance.
"What was that, ya bastard?" Vivi asked as she jumped up.
Lucy sighed as everyone else laughed in amusement at the familiar sight of those three getting into it. Though it was really two against one since Natsu and Vivi never fight against each other. The doors then burst open with Loke returning from where he had run off to.
"I've got bad news!" Loke said. "It's Erza! She's on her way here!"