Hi everyone!
I decided to take a little time out between existential breakdowns, cups of coffee, and creative crises to answer some questions (real ones, or ones I imagined you might ask me one day because no one's sent any yet, but I'm an anxious soul).
And yes, Eos is keeping an eye on my answers. If I mysteriously disappear, you'll know who was behind it.
Shall we get to it? ✨
❓ Where did the idea for the fanfic come from?
I was going to get some coffee when I saw my brother watching Fairy Tail on the kitchen telly on HBO. I was surprised because it was dubbed in Portuguese, so I went to watch with him to see what the dub was like. I ended up getting hit by a wave of nostalgia and decided to rewatch Fairy Tail from the beginning. As I was reading a lot of reincarnation fanfics in the Naruto universe, some of which are quite famous on the site, I then decided to write a fanfic, but set in the Fairy Tail universe.
❓ Is Azra'il based on any specific inspiration?
The character of Azra'il came from one of my characters from a tabletop RPG I used to play with my friends back in secondary school. Azra'il was my rogue-class character, with a sharp wit and a very sarcastic sense of humour. I remember she was always getting our party killed during dungeon crawls because she had negative luck.
❓ Will the fanfic have a main pairing?
I wrote the fanfic to have a main pairing; I've never been a fan of harems or polyamorous relationships. Besides, I've always enjoyed writing slow-burn, so my romances are developed slowly but surely. Something similar to Maomao and Jinshi – will it take about 15 volumes? It will, but the important thing is that they'll get there, and in a natural way. I don't like anything rushed.
❓ Will there be smut?
📝 Yes, there will. But take it easy. It will only be after the characters are older – basically, when they reach the age of the canon anime timeline. Besides, Azra'il isn't the type to sleep with just anyone or be impulsive in her relationships. She'll only do it with someone she likes and has an intimacy with. The story will have smut. But here, before the body, comes the heart. The steamy scenes will happen when there's a real connection between the characters.
❓ When will Lucy appear in the story?
Soon! But first, I'm exploring Azra'il's childhood and teenage years in the guild. I want to show how she grew up alongside Erza and Mirajane, and how she helped shape Fairy Tail before the official start of the anime/manga. The story will follow Erza's S-Class trial at 15, then we'll have a small timeskip, and then… we will enter the canon timeline, with Lucy's arrival.
❓ How will Erza's S-Class trial go?
As the original author explained absolutely nothing beyond the fact that she was the youngest S-Class mage in history, I had to use my creative freedom and write my own version. I based it on the Tenrou Island exam model but adapted many things – the location, enemies, emotional trials, etc. After all, if we're talking about Erza… a simple fight wouldn't be enough. She would need to overcome something much deeper.
❓ Will Azra'il end up with someone, or will she just flirt eternally with everyone?
Azra'il is a flirt, yes. But deep down, that's just a facade. She avoids getting emotionally involved, even when feelings start to emerge. Precisely because… when she loves, she loves only one person. All her intensity, all her affection, all her patience, all her devotion will be directed at that one person who manages to break down her defences. And when that happens… it will be something overwhelming, but beautiful.
❓ Do you have everything planned out, or do you write as the vibe hits?
I write as I watch the anime. When I started the first few chapters, I was watching the Tower of Heaven arc. All of Erza's childhood, the traumas, Jellal turning into a villain, Natsu beating the stuffing out of Jellal.
❓ Which scene did you have the most fun writing?
Without a doubt, the parts involving Raven's End — the fictional city I created especially for this fanfic. It doesn't exist in the original Fairy Tail universe, so I had total freedom to go wild with style. I was heavily inspired by Gotham when I imagined Raven's End: that dark, unstable place where every corner seems to hide a secret, a cult, or some mad mage up to some absurdity.
🎤 This was the first Q&A! If you want to see more (and cause even more trouble), leave your questions in the comments!
You can ask whatever you like: about the fanfic, the characters, the writing process, or even if Azra'il snores (answer: that depends on the past life).