Nalu Development: Lucy’s change in attitude toward Natsu

Original post: March, 2014

Made by jhayni-in-the-rain

Lucy has, overall, grown into a softer, kinder person. She’s not as screechy as she used to be.

So the softening of her attitude toward Natsu, by itself, doesn’t prove she’s developed romantic feelings for him.

Think of this post as a small piece of the whole Nalu story. The things Natsu does that used to annoy her don’t bother Lucy as much anymore.

The first time Natsu and Happy invaded her apartment, Lucy’s reaction was (justifiably) violent.

After that, her response to the housebreakers ranged from annoyed scolding to annoyed resignation.

Then along came one of my favorite omakes, Welcome to Natsu’s House. Lucy enters their house in order to exact her revenge on them for all the times they barged into her place.

Their place is an utter mess. But to Lucy’s surprise, Natsu’s keeping souvenirs of the missions the three of them did together. Lucy is so touched by this, she cleans Natsu and Happy’s house for them. And then she waits and waits for them to come home.

They don’t show and, discouraged and lonely, Lucy returns home.

To no one’s surprise but her own, Natsu and Happy are fast asleep in her apartment.

After her initial exclamation, Lucy smiles, exhales, and remarks how much she’s gotten used to the way they are. She saw firsthand that day how much they treasure the time she spent with them, and experienced the emptiness of waiting for someone who doesn’t show up.

I think that omake came out while the Tenrou arc was happening. It’s also the last time we’ve seen Natsu and Happy invading Lucy’s place in the manga.

Another change is how Lucy views Natsu’s destructive tendencies. At Hargeon, she found him amazing, but to her horror, he destroyed most of the port.

During Daybreak, she forbade him from taking the mansion by storm and insisted they be sneaky and quiet. (It didn’t work.)

She still thinks he goes overboard, but Lucy’s used to it now. In the Tartarus arc, after he dealt Jackal a final blow, she teased him about how he’d destroyed half the town. It’s a different reaction from all the times she used to screech at him for that sort of behavior.

When Natsu punched the annoying ex-councilor, she didn’t yell at him like she would’ve several arcs ago. Instead she closed her eyes and sighed. (She was probably glad that Natsu did knock out Michello).

And when Natsu pulled that over-the-top prank at the royal banquet, coming out dressed in the king’s clothes, her horrified response quickly changed to amusement. She even winked.

I think Lucy no longer sees Natsu as a powerful yet goofy guy who often needs correction. Not only is he now her close friend and protector, but he’s actually kinda… cool.