space | fairy tail

9 | rain and thunder

Galatea sighed, folding some clean clothing before putting them into a dresser. It had been raining all day, keeping the team from training. They had been here for a couple weeks now, and Galatea was even closer to the Thunder Legion than before.

The first few nights were a little strange, with adjustments being made due to Galatea's added presence in the group. Small habits had to be gotten used to, and a schedule that worked with everyone was set up after the first week.

The rotating three-day schedule worked wonders. A day of group combat training, followed by a day of mediation, then a solo training day, and then the schedule was reset. Today was supposed to be mediation day, which Galatea was excited about since she found a scenic waterfall she wanted to have the others meditate in front of, but nature had other plans.

Deciding to something better, she slid open the door and wandered out of her bedroom. The house had three Washitsu's, which were used as bedrooms. The smallest, tucked in the corner of the first floor of the cabin, was Galatea's. It was a powder blue colour, and the tatami mats were black. She had been using it as her bedroom since she first started staying at the cabin, therefore it was more decorated compared to the others. She had put a few paintings on the walls, and the futon in the room was significantly larger. The two other Washitsu's made up the second floor, connected through a narrow landing and a long balcony on the front of the house over-looking the distant town of Shirotsume, where the futons were hung during the day. Evergreen had grabbed the sage-coloured Washitsu, leaving the guys in the faded mustard-yellow coloured Washitsu.

The cabin itself had a rustic exterior, but had a distinct Muromachi style to the interior. All the doors were sliding panels, with the exception of the bathroom. The dining table was low, with cushions instead of chairs. The dining room, study, and Washitsu's all had lowered floors and tatami's covering the floor. The rest of the house had honey oak flooring, with eggshell-coloured walls and wood panelling everywhere.

Galatea wandered past the bathroom and dining room, wandering to the stairs. She paused, sniffing around. Evergreen was upstairs, and Freed was in the study next-door. She followed Laxus and Bickslow's scent realizing they were both in the kitchen.

She slid the door open quietly, slipping in.

"I was looking for you." Galatea said, startling Bickslow.

"Jeez, woman." Bickslow said, "Why can't you enter normally!"

Galatea shrugged.

"I went through the door and introduced my presence. That sounds pretty normal to me." She said.

"How'd you find me?" Bickslow said, "I wasn't being loud at all."

Galatea shrugged.

"I left my room and figured out where everyone was by scent. Ever's in her room and Freed's in the study so I don't want to disturb them. Then, I followed yours and Laxus's scent into the kitchen."

"Right. Dragonslayer thing." Bickslow said, "Wait, what do I smell like?"

"Rusted metal." Both Dragonslayers said.

Bickslow looked at them.

"Rusted metal?" He asked, perplexed. "I wonder why that's my scent."

Laxus shrugged.

"Some people smell like their magic, while others just end up smelling like something random. Weirdly enough, it has a tendency to match up with things you could attribute to the person." Laxus said.

"How so?" Bickslow asked intrigued.

Galatea took a seat at one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, which also conveniently had a mini bar in it.