The Journey [Private/Social]

Ashtver's sapphire irises gazed in awe at the tall buildings lining the waterway through the center of Magnolia, and he tugged excitedly at the pack strapped to his back, filled with a bottle of water and a variety of snacks and books. The items all rumbled together as he adjusted the bag. He'd heard Magnolia was the home of the renowned Fairy Tail guild, a neutral guild who took in all comers and held many powerful wizards, and it was his dream to join them. And while the location was beautiful and all, the sun bore down on him like a death beam from the gods.

"Gah, whoever invented the sun was evil," Ash joked as he raised a white sleeved arm against the sun to block it, casting a shadow against his features. Taking a seat on the doorstep of a building in the shade, he slipped the pack off of his shoulders and reached in to retrieve the water. He took a long drink from the bottle and sighed with satisfaction. "Would have been smart to find out where Fairy Tail was before coming here..." he grumbled and stared at the clear blue sky.

"I hope she's alright..." 'She' referred to the girl of his dreams back in Clover Town. Knowing about his aspiration to join Fairy Tail, she encouraged him to go to Magnolia despite all his arguments to stay. Finally acquiescing, he set off towards Magnolia with a vow that he would one day return to see her, along with a journal of stories to tell her.

"I'm sure she's doing wonderful," he reassured himself, eyes still locked on the sky. He gasped in surprise as the blue above turned dark. A large, circular structure floated across the sky above him, and he stood. "The heck is that?!" he exclaimed, swinging the bag back over his shoulders. He bolted off in the direction of the ship-like object, running across the bridge over the waterway and through the city.

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, falling behind the flying object as it soared across the sky. Come on, I have to catch up! he told himself inwardly and pushed himself to run faster. Before long, the building started to slow down as Ash broke out to a large lake. Quivering eyes peering up at the structure, it began to slowly descend towards the water, opening up at the sides as it did. A tower stood in the center of this flying fortress, and Ash struggled to keep his footing as the building rumbled the earth.

Peering through the dust as it cleared, Ash saw the large city that seemed to sit within the ship.

"What is this...?"

The descent into magnolia, he disliked this town in particular, the crowds and feel, the entire idea of it. Yet it was also how another guild had settled here,  Desirée had chosen their path of travel towards this town which he had only been to once before. A smile graced across his face as the slight winds within the ship sliced open his chapped lips, the air current on the Crystalli was quite smooth, although he had little knowledge of the intimate magical workings of the ship it all seemed to work so smoothly. Had there not been a barrier of some sorts the outside winds would have torn them apart as if it was merely mowing the a grassy lawn. Yet there was always a slight current, enough to mix up the varieties of scents and flavours, wonderful, the air on the ship never got stagnant. Whilst he disliked eh town for sure it provided an opportunity for him, to explore and adventure, to mingle with the locals and snag up some rare and powerful objects, the gold and shimmering treasures which were spoken about in the darker areas of town interested him. A slight shudder, the rare indications of the ships movements once arose every so often. They were rare though, as normally he barely felt their travel, not that it mattered much. Almost mutual, a consensus between parties that the travelling adventurers would direct the ship to its next direction and choose it, whilst the artists merely got a quest and inspirational place of lodging. Whilst there were a few he could not think of many whom had decided to remain upon the mainland.

A slight yet familiar clack, the metal of the disemboarding steps reflecting the sun back at him in such a way that the last step was invisible. Blinded for a moment his soft shoes stumbling to level ground. Indeed a small crowd had gathered as normal. Smooth, his hand stroked the green scarf which sat around his neck atop of the young mans white cloak. He was nobody too special. Nobody that important. The majority of his guildmates had other means of disembarking the vessel or would depart later, yet with a spring in his step and the fluff in his hair, energy coursed throughout the male as his boots kicked up dust. He felt alive, a bunch of ivy clambering its way to victory. The shopping list of what was required by his teammates was tucked in his pockets, a few requests from various other artists who appeared to be too invested in their words to depart. Blossoming across his face the smile grew as he spoke to the crowd. Honestly sometimes it was best to just ask. "Say, does anyone here know where the best place to get food is, sweets mainly. Something sugary!" They shuffled slightly, as if the entire group was unsure about people asking questions, well how else was one supposed to get information? Slight as it was the chuckle emerged from his throat at awkward, perhaps he had said something wrong? Or was it the long winters coat he wore?

Before he could bat an eyelid, a crown of onlookers had swamped around Ash to take in the sight of the giant city that had just landed in the lake. The muttering and shouting all mingled together in a cacophony around him, but from the roaring sea of noise he plucked a few key words.

"It's Crystal Swan!"

"The nomadic guild!"

"Sounds like an amazing place..."

Ashtver's head perked up. A travelling guild? Crystal Swan? That must be what the airborne city is, he told himself. Shouldering his way through the crowds, he stumbled to get back to the front. "Hey, no cutting in line!" he half-jested, half-warned as he barged through the thick stack of people. So many bystanders grouped in one spot was starting to make Ash feel breathless, and he panted as his fruitless pushing and shoving was becoming more of a nudge and poke.

He just had to face it, the guild was just too popular, and if it was like this every time it landed, there was no way he was going to get a good look into it. It was as he turned his back that he heard a voice radiate across the crowd, rather angelic in tone, inquiring about a place for nice, sweet food.

This was his chance, if he could just think of some place he'd seen on his way into the city, or to where he stood now, he could make contact with this person who he assumed was from the guild thanks to the direction of his voice.

"Hmm..." Ash hummed to himself and scratched his chin feverishly. Marvish and Maker was a clothing store... Randy's was certainly a food store, but not sweet in the slightest... as he'd passed by there the strong scent of spices and herbs had filled his nostrils.

"Ah!" he cried in delight and smacked a fist against his palm.

"Hey, quieten down wouldja? Some of us here are trying to get attention from a guild. Scram,
kid," some random civilian had grumbled next to him. How rude. And Ash had heard such nice things about this city.

Sticking his tongue out defiantly, Ash turned to the front and steadied himself. With a heavy exhalation, he made one final push, pressing his shoulder between two others and split them apart, only for him to lose his balance and trip face first into the grass to eat dirt. Groaning, he shook his head and peered up at the man dressed in winter clothes, somewhat similar to himself.

"How about Skycandy?" Ash suggested as he pulled himself to his feet clumsily and dusted himself off, and received more than just a couple dirty looks directed at his book. And yet, his gaze remained focused on the brilliant man before him, garbed in his tidy, nice clothes and green scarf. "I've heard some good things about it."

A total bluff of course, as he'd never seen inside it nor heard of it. He simply noticed the sign out the front of it and just hoped it would work.