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[X777, 3 years later]
— Thunder God Tribe, Dannis third POV —
"Mission accomplished!"
Dannis and the rest bumped fists as per team tradition upon another successful completion of their mission.
Successful according to Fairy Tail standards of course, a pretty good chunk of their pay had to be cut due to wanton destruction and collateral damage, but eh, whatever.
Three years had passed since then, more and more kids their age joined the guild, and the Thunder God Tribe are now considered to be one of the strongest teams in Fairy Tail. Not that there are many teams in the guild, mind you, but being regarded as so did bring a flare of pride within him.
Their team was well balanced. Laxus had the strength to blitz through and overpower any of their enemies. Dannis's darkness brought much versatility within the team, with the unique abilities capable of great offense, defense, and even support. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen also grew plenty strong under his and Laxus's tutelage.
In fact, some people had started calling him the 'Dark Swordsman of Fairy Tail' because of it. He who brings the might of darkness against his enemies.
Some of course called him that with awe, others with contempt and suspicion. Especially from the regular-folk that have little to no understanding of magic.
After all, darkness brings with it the stereotype of evil, devils and demons that wreak havoc in the world. According to their uneducated minds, dark things = bad things.
Not that it really matters though, despite people's opinion of it, Dannis wore that title with pride. He is the sword that will cut down any of Fairy Tail's enemies. The guild that took him in when he had nothing else. The guild that took care of him when no one else would. And for it, he would happily become the demon people think he really is.
"Oi Danny, you coming?"
Laxus's voice interrupted him from his thoughts. He looked up to see the guy looking back at him with a raised eyebrow. Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow flanking him. They were all on their way to their favorite restaurant the moment they had returned to Magnolia, the one they always go to after finishing a mission.
He put a smile on his face as he joined them. 'Who cares what others think? I have my family right here.'
"Dannis-sama?! Again?! Please order something else!" Freed cried out overdramatically as they sat down in the restaurant. The reason being him ordering his daily dose of hot chocolate milkshake. It was his favorite and something he could just never get bored of drinking. Something about the sugary sweetness that fits well with his throat.
So Dannis made it a habit to always order the beverage whenever they stop by here. A habit that the rest of his team had tried to wean him off of and never succeeded.
"Piss off, Freed." He said as he took a sip from the hot, steaming, and luscious beverage while keeping eye contact with his green haired protege. Delicious.
Laxus snorted at their exchange. "You and that damned milkshake. You'll get diabetes at this rate."
"At least it's better than that god-awful music you have on 24/7." Dannis retorted, earning a twitchy eyebrow from the dragon slayer, who was currently using his lacrima headphones that he bought a few weeks back.
"Diabetes or not, he's not gonna give that drink up anytime soon," Bickslow chimed in with his tongue lolling out of his mouth, his signature painted mask hiding his expression, but his amusement was clear in his voice.
Dannis leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Call it a vice or whatever you want. Every wizard has one. Natsu can't go ten seconds without fighting someone. Cana is a drunkard. Freed is obsessed with his runes. Laxus is an asshole. Nothing new there."
Laxus merely scoffed at the jab.
Dannis then took out a cigarette and took a few puffs as he continued on. "'Sides, it's just chocolate milkshake. Not like it's gonna kill me. It's you lot that has issues with your taste buds to not find it delicious."
Freed's lip twitched. "Well at least my 'obsession' as you put it, doesn't rot my teeth."
"It won't rot your teeth as long as you brush 'em correctly." Dannis replied with a smirk of his own as his finger tapped his temple a few times.
Evergreen, who had been quietly observing the friendly banter, finally spoke up. "I'll take Dannis' side on this one. chocolate milkshake might not be the healthiest choice, but it's certainly enjoyable once in a while." Her words were accompanied by an audible slurp as she took a sip of the same drink.
"Good to see at least one of you has excellent taste in beverages. You are now officially my favorite member of the team, Ever."
And immediately after he said those words, Freed's eyes widened with a gleam within them. "I-I also love them very much Dannis-sama! I'll show you!"
The ever devoted and dedicated member of the team immediately swooped up Evergreen's drink, ignoring her outcry of 'hey!', as he chugged the entire thing in a single motion.
Evergreen's eyes widened in panic as she screamed. "Hey careful Freed! It's steaming hot!"
Her words were ignored as Freed continued to drink, his eyes closed in obvious pain as he finished it within seconds. He then slammed the but of the mug to the table with a bang.
Panting and proud, he then looked in Dannis's direction, no doubt looking for the same approval he gave Evergreen.
Dannis himself was stunned into silence as he stared at Freed with his mouth hanging open.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Laxus's boisterous laughter cut through the silence as he held his stomach with both hands. Bickslow joining in not a second later.
Dannis, recovering from his initial shock, burst into laughter along with the rest of the team. Freed's dedication to pleasing him by downing a hot chocolate milkshake in one go was both impressive and hilarious.
"Alright, Freed, you win the 'loyalty' award for today." Dannis finally managed to say between fits of laughter, clapping Freed on the back. "But seriously, next time, let's not scorch your throat for my sake, kay?"
Freed coughed, a bit red-faced from the stunt he had pulled, but his eyes sparkled with pride at Dannis's words. "Of course, Dannis-sama. Anything for the team."
Evergreen, who had been stunned by Freed's sudden act of devotion, finally regained her composure. She lightly smacked Freed on the back of the head. "You idiot! You could've seriously hurt yourself!"
Freed rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly. "It's all for the sake of camaraderie, Ever."
As the laughter died down, Bickslow, always the one to keep things light-hearted, started a new topic. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow? Another mission, or are we finally taking a day off?" His head swinging between Dannis and Laxus.
Dannis leaned back in his chair, exhaling a puff of smoke before replying, "I say we take a break. We've been on a roll lately, and even us overpowered mages need some downtime. How about a trip to the beach?"
Laxus nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. I could use some sun and a bit of relaxation."
Freed smiled. "A beach day does sound nice, Dannis-sama. And I'll make sure to bring sunscreen this time, so none of us get sunburned."
Evergreen's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm in! It's been ages since I've had a proper beach day."
Bickslow's mask shifted into a grin. "Great! I'll bring my camera lacrima. We'll need some photos to commemorate the day."
With the plan set and their spirits high, the Thunder God Tribe continued to enjoy their meal, looking forward to a well-deserved day off by the sea, where the only thing on their minds would be fun, relaxation, and, of course, a fresh supply of chocolate milk shake for Dannis.
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The next day, after clearing all their schedules and telling Makarov of their plans to relax for a day, the Thunder God Tribe found themselves at the beach, enjoying a well-deserved day off.
The sun beat down warmly, and the sound of crashing waves filled the air as they strolled along the sandy shoreline. Dannis, Laxus, Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow had traded their usual combat gear for more comfortable beach attire, complete with sunglasses, umbrellas, and wide-brimmed hats.
Dannis wasted no time before heading straight for the water. With a running start, he dove headfirst into the rolling waves, causing a spectacular splash. The rest of the team followed suit, and soon they were all engaged in a friendly water fight, laughter and magic filling the air as they playfully jostled for dominance in the surf.
Laxus summoned small bolts of lightning to zap the water around him, but made sure to lower its intensity to not hurt anyone. Freed created shimmering barriers of magic to deflect waves and protect his teammates from the water's onslaught. Evergreen used her fairy magic to blow misty sprays at her opponents, while Bickslow captured the moment with his camera, preserving their beach day memories. Dannis, however, used a folded umbrella as a makeshift sword.
As the hours passed, they took a break to sprawl out on the warm sand, enjoying a picnic they'd packed. Dannis lay on his back, his eyes half-closed as he savored another chocolate milkshake in one hand and a sandwich in the other. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of his team relaxing together.
"This was a good idea." Laxus commented, stretching out on his beach towel. "I don't remember the last time I had this much fun without worrying about a mission."
Freed nodded in agreement, a hint of relaxation finally breaking through his usually composed demeanor. "It's good for us to recharge once in a while."
Evergreen, lounging nearby, chimed in, "And the beach is the perfect place to do it. I forgot how much I missed this."
Bickslow, still fiddling with his camera, added, "Don't forget, guys, we need some group photos to commemorate this day. Big smiles!"
With contentment in their hearts and sand between their toes, the Thunder God Tribe continued to soak in the sun, the sea, and the joy of their day at the beach, strengthening the bonds that made them an unbeatable team in Fairy Tail.
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AN: Writing slice of life is hard, lemme tell you.
Just the calm before the storm. Those who know of Fairy Tail's history should know what's coming next :P
We're also closing in on the end of the first volume of the story. Hope you enjoyed it so far and stay tuned to what comes next!
Leave some stones and comments pls, they really do great for motivation