Let's Drink to the Feeling ❅ Event / Aven, Percy

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Tess still had mixed feelings about newly becoming a member of Fairy Tail. Part of her worried for a loss of autonomy, but the guild would help her acquire missions more readily. Therefore, as long as she preserved her goals, the outcome should be beneficial. Furthermore, there was plenty of time to consider her decision and its impact further—later. Aven had mentioned that a party would be happening later in the evening, and the time for such an event was drawing nearer and nearer. Now, back at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, she sat down in the lobby.

While there was not a speck of uncertainty written across her face, the white and blue haired mage truly had no idea where she was permitted to wander in this building. Being a magical owned establishment, there was no telling if alluring, deadly pixies or another threat lurked behind an inconspicuous door. Musings such as that were mere fantasy, however, as Tess doubted the guild would have any such sights easily visible. For her safety and mental sanity, though, the slayer was determined to remain here until she became more familiar with the layout. The violet eyed girl's sense of direction was not one of her proudest points.

It was boring to sit alone, though. Aven had briefly disappeared for whatever reason, whether it was because she had simply lost track of him after they returned, or he went to work on business of some sort. The party was still not due to begin for a little bit, and it would go on til the wee hours of daylight, undoubtedly. There was plenty of time to go.

Truly, the pale headed slayer could easily venture out by her lonesome during this in-between period. Wandering around was an easy way to pass the time. However, for fear of getting lost, and because she wanted to get to know a few of her newly fellow members, Tess made the decision to stay here for now. Speaking of the recent comrades she had gained, the orchid eyed mage decided to try to introduce herself to some. One or two, would be plenty for now.

Slowly rising to her feet, Tess' gaze swung around the room until landing on a young man with interestingly colored hair. Much like herself, it was split into two different hues, except his was divided horizontally, with a straight line down the middle as his part. Tess', on the other hand, was more of a vertical gradient in which the undersides of her hair and bottom layers were different. "Hello, I'm Tess. I hope I'm not bothering you," she spoke at a quiet volume, giving him an option to decline conversation should he be busy.

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Unfortunately, the stranger appeared to be uncomfortable in her presence. Tess breathed out slowly, hoping that by putting herself at ease, she might reinforce a friendly atmosphere. Offering up a light smile, she waited to see his response. Much to her relief, the young man reacted well, quietly providing his name and extending a hand. Tess shook it rather gently, but as firmly as she could, not desiring to come off as a waif of an individual. "I'm so glad that you don't mind," the pale haired slayer laughed, "I thought it might be a bit strange to approach you like this." Pausing to create a comfortable silence—at least, she attempted to do so—Tess left room for him to speak. His nervousness shone through; it was either that or some other tic which left him with a slight stutter. However, it was charming, and the violet eyed mage was hardly in a position to judge others.

Thankfully, Percy appeared to be a proactive individual, already moving the conversation at hand to more substantial topics than introductions. Perhaps he was a rather seasoned member; regardless, it was quite clear he had been a part of Fairy Tail for longer than she. "I am," Tess replied simply, flashing the dual chrome haired mage a beatific smile. Struggling to keep an iciness out of her tone, the young woman attempted to be as cordial—but not formal—as possible.

Abruptly, a certain presence in the room caught her attention, and she turned ever so slightly as Aven approached. He detailed that she had become a member of Fairy Tail just today, not even hours ago. Her initial instincts were likely incorrect—judging by the other white haired wizard's words, he had not yet become acquainted with Percy. Thus, the vibrant haired young man was probably a newer addition to their little office family here. Briefly, Tess realized that all three members of their teensy trio had pale hair in some form or another, and she covered her mouth with a hand as she laughed silently. Coughing slightly with a smile pulling at the corners of her lips, she brought her palm back down. "Yes, Percy, please do come to the party with us! It's sure to be quite fun, at least, Aven has expressed that sentiment," the white and blue headed maiden told her newest connection. While he did appear to be an introverted type of person, she was sure he could manage to have fun if they all tagged along together.

Regardless of his response, Tess would quickly coat herself in a miniature flurry of snowflakes, obscuring her view from onlookers. Magic flowed freely, adapting her outfit to something more appropriate for a casual party. With comfortable clothing now adorning her body, she felt prepared to take on this new excursion. The icy slayer did not typically attend such events, but today, she was excited to make an exception—even if the anticipation was not revealed in her expression. 'I'm not sure where the festivities will be taking place, so it seems apt to be flexible and simply follow Aven's lead, for now,' Tess mused, a brilliant smile on her face as she waited for the other two to act. If Percy already knew about the party in advance, why, she could probably take cues from him as well.

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Much to the pale haired slayer's delight, Percy and Aven were getting along just well. The young man with dual colored hair had an air of awkwardness that Tess suspected did not disperse in the company of others unless he was extremely well acquainted with them. In response to the conversation about the party, Percy admitted he had been considering attending. Regardless of the unsaid reasons he had decided not to venture out, the violet eyed mage smiled at him as encouragingly as possible. "I'm thrilled we can be of service. You'll be more than a tag a long," she said to him easily, attempting to reassure the stuttering mage. Aven was rather hesitant in his demeanor at the moment, but after a lull in the conversation—during which, she supposed, each one of them was stuck in their own head—Percy spoke up, stammering that they might as well be off. The icy wizard gave him a sweet smile. "Let's." Tess let her voice echo his phrase before she followed his delicate steps to the doorway, where Aven was waiting. For today, her attire was devastatingly out of the protocol for what she ordinarily donned. Specifically chosen for the event, the white headed female could only hope her magic did not melt away, leaving her in the fanciful day wear she normally sported. In regards to sticking together, Tess gave each of the others another glance over. Percy wore striking blue sports shoes over a nearly all black outfit, slimming and altogether a very modern take. On the other hand, the first Fairy Tail mage she had met was still dressed in the same clothes. Both appearances were easy to commit to memory, and the frost slayer could nod in determination at Percy's words. "Even if the event is crowded, we will be able to reconnect. I won't lose track of you," Tess attempted to comfort them one last time.

Aven had no qualms whatsoever—at least, he did not show them—about charging like a madman into the horde of rave attendees. In fact, he was even clapping, and the enthusiasm clear on his face was endearing. Unfortunately, before he could finish off the incredibly cliched phrase spilling from his lips, a strong bass beat vibrated through the air, rumbling through the ground under their very feet. Tess restrained herself from smiling. Undoubtedly, this night was going to be interesting. She began to make her way outside when Aven's expression changed—much to her confusion, his delighted expression faltered before reforming into a much less genuine countenance. "Very well," the purple eyed girl agreed, casting Percy a short glance before the other pale haired mage disappeared in a miniature burst of the same dark energy he had exhibited for herself and Althea earlier that morning. 'I wonder what has him so riled up,' the female brushed her hair away from her eyes as she caught sight of the red and white haired mage sprinting towards the doorway. 'It must be interesting,' Tess shrugged as she followed at a more leisurely pace. While she was loathe to miss out on the fun, the pale slayer could not be rushed. As soon as she neared the entryway, her aura detected an unsettling amount of magic in the area. Most likely, Aven had picked up on the disturbance from farther away. The individuals responsible for the catastrophe awaiting her eyes outside were rather clear at the first glance as the only people not fleeing for their lives, screaming, or struggling haplessly.

Taking a brief moment to check in on Percy, Tess could only assume from his clenched fists that he felt unnerved or intimidated. Personally, she was already bored of this terrorism, but it was quite the show. The moment the Samurai began speaking, the white headed slayer lost all her respect for this nonsense preventing her from enjoying a nice night out with two new acquaintances. 'Guests at his party? How predictably tiresome,' her thoughts swirled with dull impatience, but on the outside, her expression was mildly concerned. As two of the strangely neon creatures shot towards her, the orchid eyed mage blinked twice as she stepped neatly away from their first pass. Regardless of whether it took her out of range or not, she simply could not be bothered to move any more than was necessary. Typically, her magic demanded a large amount of energy; it required her to dash around and do the heavy lifting through her own strikes. On this lovely—formerly peaceful, at least—night, Tess was unwilling to compromise on her desire to fight. Or lack, thereof. As it turned out, she had not escaped the range of the molten plasma flickering on the edges of the elementals' silhouettes, and it lapped at her skin. The willowy girl felt nothing, which was unsurprising. Her pain tolerance prevented her from feeling any damage, but this scenario was more than a lack of feeling. Instead, it seemed as though she had been protected unknowingly. Upon closer examination, the iris eyed maiden's skin was covered by a slightly cracked coating of dark energy. To her fascination, it slowly repaired itself, merging seamlessly into a solid, filmy layer. Aven's doing, no doubt.

Since this fight was beginning to drag on, Tess admitted to herself that she ought to participate more and hurry things along. A fog emerged from her pores, miniature snowflakes all imbued with a draining magic that slowly seeped the warmth from the elementals nearby. Normally, heat claimed an advantage over ice, but the ubiquitous nature of her numbing magic could ensure that this environment was akin to battling in a snowstorm, as she leeched the surrounding air of energy until it became sluggish, freezing cold. Taking advantage of their sudden inability to move, Tess' physical form dissolved into icy flakes that whirled in a gust of frozen magic, bursting through their bodies and shattering them into tiny frozen pieces. As the mist faded away, the shards melted into small puddles, but the life force animating them was already gone. Soon enough, the remnants evaporated and left only marks on the ground. She felt a rush of energy pour into her veins, and the pale haired slayer struggled not to sway on her feet. 'This is it. The feeling that comes from helping,' she had been slowly rehabilitating herself to no longer chase after the release of satisfaction after a kill, but it still felt euphoric. 'Escaping the misery of suffering, the glory of that,' she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and diverted her attention to her surroundings. Now was the time to focus and not allow herself to be caught up by the obsession of battle. It was all too easy to hyper focus on demolishing every single enemy, when in reality, such antics were unnecessary. Judging by her position, the Samurai was within teleportation distance. A flash of light blue light and Tess appeared behind him, her right hand wrapped tightly around a glinting blade of ice. In one smooth movement, she stuck it through his stomach, painlessly slicing through his internal organs. Her magic flowed down and through the edge, forcing itself into his system and freezing up his metabolism until the most basic functions ceased to work.

Snow exploded from his body as the bitter cold hijacked his own magic and used it to propel the spread of ice. As a last ditch attempt, the Samurai tried to swing his sword behind him, but he was unable to turn his body enough to use that momentum. Tess caught his arm with her other hand easily enough, directing the massive pink flame that spurted from the blade at the ground, where it caught fire. At first, the flames appeared to be harmless enough, but as the girl observed with narrowed violet orbs, she realized that they were not dying out. On the contrary, there appeared to be some sort of magic involved. The inferno slowly began to eat away at even the concrete. Finally, the icy slayer had enough of this nonsense. She put a pale, cold hand on his throat, numbing his breath and halting the conduction of organic electrical pulses, of cellular passages, of anything. In turn, the life essence flowed up her arm—Tess wrenched it out of her own system and thrust the power into a bubble of freezing rime ice, which encapsulated the fire. For now, that would hold it until a mage with abilities more suitable could properly put it out. Her ice was unmeltable in this situation, so it could hold the flames indefinitely. Stepping away from the Samurai as his body froze up, the white and blue haired maiden let out a short sigh when she noticed another enemy clothed in cybertech armor from head to toe. It was the so called DJ from before. Tiring of this battling, Tess only wanted to move on. Perhaps she would even go as far as to say that she no longer felt in the mood to participate in a nice party. It was best to finish this quickly, lest that frame of mind spoil the spirit of entertainment entirely.

Leaving behind an icy mark on the ground, Tess teleported to the DJ. He was more prepared for her melee than the Samurai, having witnessed it moments before. However, she did not release a mist. Instead, a full on blizzard consumed the immediate area in a very small radius—it was thick enough that he was left blinded and unable to confirm her location. The young slayer had a relatively straightforward fight handed to her on a plate; she was free to send bursts of snow, and icy comets, careening towards him while he was unable to dodge. Within another beat or two, the encounter was done. It had been made only even more easy by Aven's protection; typically, Tess found herself needing to divert attention to creating and upkeeping shields. In this situation, that had been absolutely unnecessary. She allowed her eyes to scan the area in a longer, more thorough sweep, finding a sight that she had missed before. Percy was collapsed and on the ground, struggling to—Tess couldn't see now, as a darkly suited figure was blocking her view. While she was unsure of how she had missed his fight going so badly, the current situation appeared to be urgent. Now was not the time to ruminate on oversights and mistakes. The fair skinned slayer stepped towards her new guild mate, but a crew of more black clothed individuals swept in, surrounding the young man and staring at her and the other onlookers suspiciously. 'Percy must be highly valued by an individual I don't know,' the orchid eyed female attempted to slide past one of the bodyguards, only to be shoved backwards roughly. 'I can't see. It's too risky to hope he's being protected, rather than kidnapped while he is vulnerable.' Tess did not want to flat out attack the group, especially as they appeared to be professionals. However, she could not just walk away in a moment like this.

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