pairing(s): gajeel redfox x reader (gender neutral, requested: kittenthesupersaiyan)
triggers: sexual innuendo at the end haha
summary: gajeel meets bartender!reader for the first time when taking a guild job
（＿＿の＿＿）
gajeel felt restless as he stood in front of the board, staring at the various jobs in front of him. there were too many simple and low-paying jobs- including drinking contests and catching missing farm animals - which were simply not worth his time or effort.
while he was interested in other jobs like beating up bandits, petty thieves and criminals, he felt the desire to be challenged. the fire in him was unyielding as he stood at the board. with crossed arms, gajeel looked slantwise, catching mirajane posting up another job offer. 'are there any jobs that don't involve beating people up?' he mumbled under his breath.
'funny, you usually don't turn something like that down.' mirajane gave a small giggle as she spoke.
'it's not fun when they don't give you a challenge. last time it happened, they just ran away and promised to never do it again.'
'here, come see this one.' mirajane gestured over to the paper she put up.
[ overtaken ]
location: oakgate city
description: this city is a farming-rich community, and our economy is largely dependent on these farmed goods. recently, bandits have taken over two of our largest farms, and it has delayed the income of our exports shipping. due to this, our economy is steadily falling as our smaller farms cannot handle the supply and demand of our neighbouring communities. these people are definitely working for someone, but people are too scared to speak up about it. find out what you can.
requester: anonymous
[ reward : 250,000 jewels ]
'detective work, huh?' gajeel stares at the piece of paper, contemplating on the idea. 'maybe not my type of work'.
'you said you wanted a challenge.' mirajane deadpans.
'oi, what's that meant to imply?!'
休憩
gajeel could feel people's stares on him as he walked through the gates of the city. after all, he was a stranger to the beaming sunshine and ashy smell of oakgate city. people wore brightly coloured cotton robes and wooden sandals - almost like a kimono, gajeel noted. his all-black attire and numerous facial piercings was a stark contrast to the people around him.
'oakgate tavern, hm?' he read the sign of a nearby brick building, the warm atmosphere inviting him in with a cosy feeling. after all, if there's one place to get information without sounding suspicious or shady, it was a tavern.
he entered through the door, trying to not draw attention to himself. it's kinda hard not to though when you're a tall, buff, mean-looking man with a deadly aura. gajeel seated himself at the corner of the bar, next to a sleeping man who probably had too much to drink.
he spotted a frantic-looking bartender attempting to carry drinks and snacks to the patrons, watching as they glided with speed and haste. 'I'm (name), what can I get for you?' a voice called out to gajeel, and he realised the bartender was in front of him, already behind the bar.
'what's the word around town?. (name) looked up from their notepad, a small smile washing over their face. filling a glass of water to give to the stranger, they leaned over the bar countertop to take in his appearance.
'well, the local guild here, the vox sanctorum, are always looking for new members to join.' (name) shifts their gaze to the guild tattoo on gajeel's left arm. 'but I can see you're not here looking for that.'
'you're a bartender, you know and hear everything and everyone in this town. hear anything about bandit raids on some farms nearby?'
' at this point, the whole continent knows about those raids, but everyone's too scared to do anything. and before you ask, I'm the one who sent the job offer to your guild.'
'yeah, you're not very anonymous, by the way. this is the first place I came to. and anyway, you're supposed to not give your identity away even if you think someone's onto you.'
'that's just... pure luck.'
'sure it is.'
'let's just go to the back room, it's more private there.' (name) mumbled lowly, untying the mini-apron they wore.
'at least take me on a date first.' gajeel downed the rest of his drink and smirked, already finding (name) amusing.
'can you not?' (name) deadpans as they shut the door behind them.
（＿＿の＿＿）
vox sanctorum = holy voice (latin)
feel free to send in your requests!
