The Devil Slayer & The Steam Prince Volume1

Chapter 16 Winter Wonders Part1

Timeskip to the second week of December
———————————————————————
Seth's POV: It's the second week of December so that means it's 2 weeks away from Christmas and I just woke up, I sit in my bed and look through the glass of my window to see it's snowing softly outside, I just smile before getting wrapped into my robe and sliding my slippers on as I know snow is nice to look at but it makes things cold, I just quietly shuffle myself from my room to the guys bath to go get warm before breakfast.
———————————————————————
I sigh loudly in bliss due to the fact that I'm alone in the bath's and the hot water feels good on my cold skin, of course it doesn't take long for guys to come and fill up the bath's so I get out and get changed back into my robe and slippers, but as I do I end up bumping shoulders with Gray. I just awkwardly without looking at him say hi and apologize for bumping into him before running away to my room. I quickly get dry and dressed and then leap the railing catching some granola bars and oranges tossed my way by Lisanna due to the fact that I was in a rush to go see Stella, I recently got a letter scroll sent to the guild from her about the slippers I tasked her with making.
———————————————————————
I eventually make it to Stella's store. "Seth thanks for coming I just wasn't sure how you wanted the design to be and how to activate it, Stella says as she sees me bust through her shop's entrance." "Right so did you study the lakrama I sent with a slideshow of Gray doing his casting pose and in most of them he is shirtless, I say as I try not to get a blush on my face." "Yes I did but you said that the slippers design would at one point be a constellation, Stella reminds me." "Yes so lets put a copy image of his pose laying on top the the slipper, I'll mark on the copy where I think each star should be in the constellation and then you can just repeat it on the second slipper but flip the image so it looks mirrored, I say as I explain it to her." Stella nods and so we get busy.
———————————————————————
I lay a sample copy of the image on the top and put small dots where the smaller stars would be, his hair, his neck, his waist, his knees, and elbows. I then put bigger dots on where the bigger stars should be, his face, his shoulders, his feet, and of course where his hands are together, after a little while, the constellation is complete. I focus my magic and find the otherworldly realm of shadow, I add it into the fabric so the image of Gray is hidden until the slippers are clicked together, I then focus my water magic on points around him to make snow designs, with a hint more magic this time I focus on the warm glow of fire, I point at the snow so when the image is revealed the snow would animate, twinkle and fall. After all this has been done I click the front of the slippers together twice and the spells work and Gray appears surrounded by falling powdery snow, so I click them together twice again and the image disappears and the snow stops, all u see is snowflakes surrounding a constellation.
———————————————————————
"Seth you did it you actually did it, you made the special someone a pair of slippers with such a special twist, it's the only pair in existence I think they will enjoy them and use them often, Stella says gleefully at seeing what we did." "I just did design placement and added magic to it your the one who created the slippers themselves, but thanks that's nice of you to say I sure hope he likes it, I say as I reach into my wallet to pay her but she shuts my wallet on me." "You're not paying for something you helped so much on I insist, furthermore I do believe it's time for you to get them boxed and ribboned because isn't tonight the night everyone picks names to shop for, Stella says calmly."
———————————————————————
"Yeah but since it was my idea to do this I asked Erza to pull a few tricks and give me the slip of paper with Gray's name on it, she's gonna call me last and sneak the paper into the hat I say in hushed tones." "You sneaky snake well go pick out a box and ribbon and get going I'm sure you got a lot to do, besides it is almost noon and all you had is granola and fruit you should go eat, Stella says in a caring motherly voice. I nod and find a nice candy cane striped box with Christmas trees on it and a nice green see through ribbon, I carefully place the slippers in the box and then put on the lid and delicately lay the ribbon in the center on the top of the box before waving goodbye to Stella and hurrying out her shop.
———————————————————————
I make it back to the guild within a half hour and so it's a little after half past noon, I slip into the shadows and hide the box in the dresser of my bedroom before I turn solid and come downstairs to have a big filling lunch with the team. As I sit next to Erza I whisper to her "The parcel has been retrieved and stored away." Erza gives me a knowing look and nods. "So Seth are you excited for tonight Lucy asks?" "Tonight? Oh yeah, tonight we find out who we are shopping for yep I'm looking forward to learning my target, more importantly I'm looking forward to Christmas day where we all reveal who we had and give them their gift, I say at first caught off guard, but managed to recover."
———————————————————————
After having a big lunch I give off a loud burp and then stand to leave. "Now if you all will excuse me I'm going to See my dad and Antonio and try to find out what they might want this year, I will see you all again this evening, I say calmly and with an air of elegance." I slide on my gloves, wrap my scarf around my jacket collar and pull it up to cover my mouth, before putting on my beanie on my head as I walk out the door.
———————————————————————
I start with my father but as soon as I walk inside all the staff try to rush over to help me out my clothes and saying that they could put the kettle on for hot chocolate. I simply raise a hand to silence them "Thank you all but no, I simply came to check if my father wants anything for Christmas this year besides my permanent return, I say calmly." "Of course I believe he is in his office and is seated by the fireplace." Annabelle says in response." "Thank you Annabelle, well if you all will excuse me I will make sure you all get holiday pay and the option to take the holiday off to spend with your families, Have a pleasant Christmas everyone, I say as I bow to them."
———————————————————————
I then head to speak to my father he gives me a list to choose from and then he says he has one more gift request one that can't be bought with money. "Yes sir what is it." I ask unaware that I called him sir as if I was a wizard taking a job from him.
———————————————————————
"Your forgiveness my son that is the gift I'd most like to receive from you this year, I always assumed you were ok with my choices when you were young but I see now you're just always a smiling type of person and back then you truly weren't happy after losing your mother and just obeying me. I now see your happiness should of always been my top priority and I see now that even a year away on your own and a few months with this legendary guild has made you truly happy again." Dad says as he looks at the fire dance and slowly die down in the fireplace.
———————————————————————
"I don't know father if I can forgive you so easily your upbringing of me after mom passed was ruthless, you only seemed to care back then about making the business bigger, but your right ever since I joined FairyTail I've had so much fun being able to use my magic for good rather than just hiding it away and so I will consider forgiving you." I say as I reach for the door to leave before using my magic to ignite a new fire in the fireplace.
———————————————————————
Once at Antonio's he comes running outside in his winter clothes and throws a snowball at me, I grab it and turn it to water in a instant. "I came over to see if you wanted something for Christmas this year, I say firmly as I look over at him." "Oh alright well come on in I mean surely you can stay for dinner and we can talk lists while we eat, Antonio says as he drops a snowball he was making." "Sure I suppose but before we go in." I say with a wicked grin. I use my magic to pelt him with snowballs from all around him, I soon call off the attack and we both just laugh as we walk inside.
———————————————————————
Eventually, once dinner was over I look at the time and hurry to put my winter gear back on. "What's wrong is someone in danger?" Antonio asks in worry. "No it was my idea for the guild to do Secret Santa, the name assignment is tonight I have to be there I say as I whip my head to him." Then like at my dads I ignite new fires in the fireplaces that were being used and then waved bye to my friend as I run out the gate.
———————————————————————
I get to the train station and the snow is starting to come down heavier not so much that it's white-out conditions but still slightly worrisome, I quickly hop onto the train and after multiple stops the announcer says, "Magnolia Station" I hurry out the train car and yet the snow is coming down even harder now and faster while I have a long hike to the guild.
———————————————————————
I manage to get to the big wooden doors of the guild, yet my body started to go cold and stiff on the walk from the station to the guild, now I was just so cold and it's so dark out my only sources of light are the streetlamps and the moon, my body is so cold and stiff I can't cast a spell to warm myself enough to continue, I just give into the world around me and collapse into a pile of snow, as I collapse I manage to push the door open slightly.
———————————————————————
Gray's POV: we are about to start the name drawings for the Secret Santa and yet I get the feeling something isn't right. "Hey, you guys didn't Seth say he would be back this evening for the drawings?" I ask as I cut Mira off from speaking. Maybe he is just running late I'm sure we can start without him Gray darling." Juvia says from her seat and just shakes it off. "Alright I guess but in a little, if he doesn't show we should call over to Antonio's to see if he is still there and he just didn't tell us, I say as I look away from the water witch." Hours later we are near the end and all the guild members names have been called, yet no sign of Seth at all. "That's it I've had it this was his idea, I'm done acting like nothings wrong I'm going upstairs and calling Antonio on the lakrama." I say angrily as I get out of my seat.
———————————————————————
"Hi Gray what can I do for you this evening." Antonio asks shortly after I use the lakrama to get in contact with him. "Seth told us at lunch he would be back for the name drawings tonight, yet most the names have been pulled out the hat, yet he hasn't shown up all night." I say as I give a rundown of the reason for calling. "Strange he left here hours ago in a rush saying he had to get back to the guild for Secret Santa so he should have been there hours ago, I hope he at least found somewhere safe from all this snow outside." Antonio says with worry in his voice. "Thanks, I'll assemble some search teams to go out and find him, hopefully we can find him before it gets really bad outside." I say as I end the call.