Most members of Fairy Tail had very open and friendly personalities.
After Makarov's introduction, and thanks to the large grilled fish feast Ur prepared, it didn't take long for him to fit in with the rest of the guild.
And while they were at it, Makarov took the opportunity to throw a proper welcome party for Ur, which he'd missed earlier.
Undoubtedly, that old man got drunk again.
Sometimes, Ur seriously suspected that Makarov hosted welcome parties for newcomers to give himself a legitimate excuse to drink.
After all, this world's idea of a celebration was nothing like the kind of parties Ur remembered from his previous life, where everyone just sat around staring at their phones.
Even though Ur wasn't the type who enjoyed overly noisy scenes. He had to admit, being surrounded by this wild group of people felt pretty damn good.
By the time the party wrapped up, most guild members had either drunkenly wandered off or grouped up to leave. It was already dark outside.
And then, another awkward situation landed squarely on Ur's head.
He had nowhere to sleep.
Sure, the guild had member dorms, but they cost money.
There were also plenty of inns outside, but those also cost money.
And right now, Ur was missing one very critical resource: money.
To make it worse, even though he was now "pretty familiar" with most guild members. It was that awkward kind of familiarity—where he knew them, but they didn't know him.
So, asking to crash at someone's place?
Not really an option.
Plus, most of them were already gone.
So there he stood, all alone in front of the guild doors.
The warm summer breeze brushed against his skin, yet Ur couldn't help but feel a chill.
"Sigh… I guess it's time to be shameless again."
Raising his head, he stared at the starry sky, letting out a sigh filled with complex emotions.
He wasn't broke to the point of sleeping on the streets. But the alternative in his mind was truly a last resort. One he would only take if necessary.
Because it was embarrassing, to say the least.
Three hours later, on foot, Ur once again arrived at that home that had left such a deep impression on him.
The lights were still on.
Ur let out a sigh of relief.
Having lived here for three days previously, he was familiar with Grandma Isse's habits. Otherwise, he never would've dared show up at this hour.
He stood in front of the gate for a long moment, hesitating.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Who's there?" Came Grandma Isse's voice almost instantly from inside.
"It's me, Ur." Ur called back quickly, not wanting to startle her.
Sure enough, he soon heard soft shuffling inside. A moment later, the door creaked open.
When Granny Isse saw Ur, her face lit up with a smile. But then she blinked in confusion.
"Little Ur, what brings you here this late? Another mission?"
"Uh… no. Actually, I wanted to ask if I could stay the night… if that's alright?"
"Stay the night? You're not going home?"
"Grandma Isse, I don't have a home."
He didn't say it to elicit pity.
He said it calmly, without any hint of self-pity.
But still, when Granny Isse heard his words, her expression softened immediately. Her eyes filled with compassion and sadness.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, little Ur… that was thoughtless of me. But don't you worry—from now on, you can treat this place as your home. It's late. Come on in and get some rest!"
Ur: "Uh…"
I feel a little scummy right now.
"Little Ur, have you eaten yet?" Granny Isse asked as she led him inside.
"I have—"
"I'll whip something up for you!"
"..."
So familiar.
Ur had never doubted whether she'd let him stay.
During the mission earlier, Grandma Isse had dropped more than a few hints about wanting him to stay longer.
She was a kind old lady. But more than that, a lonely one.
Maybe, just maybe, that was part of why Ur chose to walk three hours to get here. Deep down, a part of him wanted to keep her company a little longer.
Ever since Ur crossed over into this world, the person he'd spent the most time with and felt the most comfortable around was probably Grandma Isse.
That night, Ur force-fed himself yet another one of Grandma Isse's simple meals. Even though it was filled with meats, sauces, and who-knows-what-else. Only after seeing the satisfied smile on her face did he head to bed to rest.
The next morning.
Ur was met with yet another simple breakfast before he finally said his temporary goodbyes and went to the guild to resume work.
Keyword:temporary.
Because under Granny Isse's semi-forced invitation, Ur was now more or less living there.
Back at the guild, the usual morning chaos was already well underway.
And the first thing Makarov said when he saw Ur was, "Ah, right! I forgot to ask yesterday—Do you have a place to stay yet? If not, I can arrange a spot for you in the guild dorms, just until you're settled."
Ur: "..."
I have something to say… but I don't know if I should say it out loud.