【Re:Freezing】 | Gray Fullbuster x OC

11. Only For S-Class!

Karissa emerged from her room with a dazed expression, she felt so detached from reality. She had spent four hours in her room, her mind had been completely focused on drawing designs for the Souvenir Shop. According to her latest memory that didn't involve drawing, the last time she glanced outside her window it was still light outside. It only felt like a mere thirty minutes had passed before she was greeted by dark skies. It completely threw her off. Now that she was back to the real world, she felt the need to see another human being and to hear them talk since she hadn't heard another voice speak. She was really detached from reality from her flow.

Her feet brought her down the stairs as her ears picked up the faint voices coming from downstairs. She wanted more noise to feel a little more alive. The darkness she was traveling in slowly became illuminated as she descended until her sight was filled with brightness. Her eyes squinted from the change in contrast.

"Van?" she mumbled like a sleepy child.

The older brother who had been sitting on the couch with his back facing her, turned around to watch her approach him. He gave her a gently smile as he saw her walk towards him with a hand rubbing her eye.

"What's up? Done being cooped up in your room?"

"Hmm."

She settled down next to him and heaved out a small sigh. Her brother merely chuckled at that and looked back in front of him where a screen was projected a few feet from the couch thanks to a magic movie that came from some lacrima crystal.

"What's this?" she asked while leaning back against the fluffy pillows.

"A movie that I got on my last job. The shop owner said it was a pretty good movie."

Gunshots and magic sounded from the film.

"Seems like a typical action movie to me." Karissa remarked, not really impressed from what she was currently seeing.

"It gets bonus points for being a distraction."

"Hmm... I guess." Karissa slowly dropped her head on his shoulder as she gazed blankly at the screen, somewhat taking in the scenes before her but also not.

Her brother was always willing to lend his shoulder for her to lean on whenever she wanted. Now seemed like one of those times she could. Her sister, however, was different considering she always shrugged her shoulder to push her off, telling her that she didn't like having heavy weight on her shoulder. She didn't know if her sister was insinuating that she had a rock for a head but she chose to believe that it was intelligence weighing her head.

Van snorted. He reached for her head with the hand from the opposite side and ruffled her hair. It felt like he was praising her for her good work.

The gentle and welcoming warmth that her older brother radiated was very comforting.

It reminded her of her father.

...

...

...

Pandora stretched her arms over her head as soon as her house came in sight. She was finally home from a job that the Master personally asked her to deal with sometime after Erza had been arrested for show.

It was late. There would most likely be no one left at the guild. Mirajane would probably still be there to clean up. But that didn't motivate her enough to head to the guild and check to report on her job so she headed straight home. The current ungodly hour should have the majority of the town in their beds, dreaming away to lovely dreams. Yet she was surprised to see the lights of her house illuminating the ground floor.