Mythal Wears a Tutu

This wasn’t going to be a regular day. Mythal should have known it right from the start but for some reason, he hadn’t. Maybe he figured life would overlook him and focus on some other poor plebe to pull the wings off of and make an example from. But he really should have known better – life was moving at such an even pace right now. He had no issues to actively deal with, he’d managed to escape Faera’s trap and figure out that her trap had been a last straw attempt to snare him. His friendship with Serilda was the strongest it had ever been and he was beginning to expand out beyond his normal social circle. He had even reached out to other guild mates of Fairy Tail and asked them to take part in jobs with him. Rightfully, life wasn’t quite even but rather it was doing very well. But fate, as always, was a fickle and angry presence that constantly tried to batter back any attempts at him being truly happy.

It was another bright morning, the first day of the weekend. Being Saturday, he had been on the fence about if he wanted to head to Magnolia and take a job or not. He’d pondered it over his breakfast and his morning workout, letting the adrenaline he built up make the decision for me. He felt physically good and frankly, there wasn’t a whole lot he could do otherwise. He could probably call Serilda on his iLac and see if she wanted to spend the day together or perhaps even arrange to go over and see her place. He still hadn’t gotten to Ace of Spades and seen what her own home looked like. On the flip side of things, he could also go and get a job and ask her to accompany him. One choice was spending money frivolously while the other would result in more jewel in his pocket. When all else failed, getting more jewel was the answer.

As he took his lacrimacycle on the road towards Magnolia, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. Originally, he had joined Fairy Tail for one single purpose – to earn jewel. His sole goal in life back then had been to accumulate enough riches to go and buy himself a private island or farm somewhere far from civilization. Once there, he would be able to finally spend some time alone without anyone bothering him. He had no desire to be around anyone back then, having to bite back bile and annoyance from even walking through any town or city he visited. Sure, his mood improved once he got some booze in him but not enough to make a lasting effort. In fact, he usually got in more trouble when he drank; he was a bit of a prankster when he was bored and under the influence. He had told himself to stick to solo jobs, make as much jewel as possible and then just disappear one day. As long as he kept to himself, no one was going to miss him anyways – not like he had friends or family to brag about.

But that had changed, hadn’t it? He’d managed to stick to the plan for the first few jobs that he took part in but then fate had intervened – ironic that. The guild had asked him to take on a mentor, to help him better understand the guild as a business and as a family. Nessa had entered his life and found a way to lay a seedling of interest, if only slightly. She had accepted him for all his quirks, continuing to be nice and address him with respect despite their long, arduous and boozy trip through Earthland. Mythal had been surprised to find that her presence was warm; comfortable enough that he didn’t feel on edge at all. He didn’t exactly want to be around it all the time but he could stomach it without complaint or worry when he was. He should have known then.

After that, he had been asked to join up with Markus. Now there was a wizard the God Slayer could easily get along with. A master of shadow magic and God Slaying himself, the two had an equally bleak opinion on the world and a brunt, no nonsense attitude to handling their jobs. They’d hit it off right away and his query to if he wanted to form an official team had been accepted without hesitation. This was a person he could see himself working with all the time without issue. He was a bit more monotone than Mythal was but that just made him an efficient partner all in all.

Then there was Serilda. Boy, had she been a pain in his ass right from the start. She was proper, modest, looking like she belonged in a rich manor rather than working as a wizard for a legal guild. While she was certainly efficient in handling issues, she was also as stubborn as a rock against an approaching tide. Perhaps it was really his own stubbornness that had caused hers to flare up and when they clashed, it had been a vicious war of words and insults that would have made even the grungiest sailor blush. Of course, that interaction had led to a physical one neither one of them had expected and tried to actively move past. Yet it had done wonders to opening up Mythal to her, his honest, hidden truths coming out for her to see and listen to. More amazingly had been how well she understood him, or at least respected his beliefs enough not to insult them. They’d quickly become friends and, despite one major hurdle, had managed to keep that growth continuous. Even thinking back now, he could see all the pitfalls and exits he normally could have and would have taken to avoid getting close to anyone. Somehow she had managed to circumvent them and keep their connection strong.

So the real question was, did he really want to leave now? He had accumulated a fair amount of jewel – more so if he sold the unique vehicle he rode, the impressive house he had, and all the things he had never had before and never wanted before. He had scoffed and mocked those that flaunted their wealth yet in a way, he was doing the same thing. If he gave all that up; if he reverted back to the man he had been before, he could probably afford his little patch of lonely land. But thinking about it, he wasn’t so sure that’s where he was destined for anymore. He didn’t truly believe in fate having some extravagant plan for him, having made himself what he was today without the interference of predestination. But maybe he wanted something different…

Whatever those deep thoughts were, they’d have to be saved for the ride home or another day. As his small mindful trance broke, he found he was pulling into the city of Magnolia, slowing his pace as he pulled onto the streets. It was a quick and easy drive to the guild hall and when he spotted it, he pulled the vehicle off to the side and parked it right off the main road. Once he had attached his helmet to the handlebars, he walked around the corner and pushed the door open to the guild hall.

He was nearly knocked onto his ass by a woman pushing her way out, moving at such a hurried rate that he may have thought there was a fire. He stumbled back and caught himself in enough time to look up at her, his brow furrowing. To be honest, she didn’t look like a woman at all – she looked more like a twelve or thirteen year old girl. It wasn’t unsurprising for younger guild members to be part of the roster but this one felt strong. Her magic was impressive, if a bit jolted. There was an air of trepidation hanging about her, like she’d witnessed something that chilled her straight to the bone but she was unwilling to show it. It was something he was used to seeing with Serilda, who would hide any fear or nerves behind a façade of professional neutrality. This girl had similar features but more… hardened. Almost like she’d never felt or seen an emotion in her life that had managed to creep and infect her face.

She looked at him and her eyes widened instantly in recognition. Before he could say anything, she rushed to him and thrust a piece of paper at him, the God Slayer taking hold of it merely out of instinct. She shot him a quick apology, stating that she owed him for… something and then she took off, running down the road. Mythal was so busy trying to wrap his head around what had happened that he didn’t really have time or mindfulness to call out after her. She had looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place a name to the face. Maybe one of the other guild members would know who she was? He scratched his chin as he brought the piece of paper up to inspect it. It was a job posting of all things and it was for…

Wait. What was he reading? This was a request for someone to come take the spot of a member of some group called the… Pink Tiara group? He continued reading, his eyes narrowed as he read the details of the lead performer that had ran out in the middle of the night and the lack of people stepping up. So they had reached out to wizard guilds in hopes of garnering some attention. He didn’t know much about the group itself but by the sounds of it, it wasn’t a job he would have grabbed. But much to his horror, he saw his name written in as the claimer, neatly signed at the bottom. What the hell?! That girl had the gall to sign him up for the job without even talking to him, attaching him to this… this… girly group?! His head spun to look in the direction of the fleeing girl but she was long gone, having disappeared among the bustling crowd of the people of Magnolia.

Fate; you son of a bitch.

“Oh my god, ew.”

Mythal had taken a solid hour searching for the girl that had signed him up for this task, wanting to demand answers for why, how, when – all the big question groups. Why had she picked him specifically for this job, when anyone that was anyone knew he took on more dangerous, less embarrassing jobs? Who did she think she was that she could just make that decision for him? He didn’t even think the guild master was capable of forcibly making a guild member take on a job if they were truly against it. After finding absolutely no sign of her, the God Slayer had released a heavy sigh and decided to go and deal with the matter personally.

This was a girl entertainment group. He was a thirty year old man who didn’t exactly blend well with a bunch of teenagers. He was either going to look like the creepiest man that ever existed or people would suspect he was one of the girl’s fathers who was roped into taking part when all hell had broken loose. Both of those examples and situations were far beyond what he wanted to deal with and he was sure that the girls wanted nothing to do with his old butt showing up and taking the spot either. He found the spot for their show just outside of Magnolia, the stage already in the midst of being set up. He stopped for a moment there, eyeing the stage hands carefully. The last time he had been summoned onto a stage had been in Magnolia as well but that had been a rouse to bring forth the Tower of Rodger. He looked for any sign of an older gnome looking man or two twin elf women for a moment and when he was satisfied they weren’t there, he continued on to the tent that had a sign on it that read ‘Pink Tiara. No admittance’. They put that there and yet didn’t put a bouncer or body guard – real professional set up they had here.

He flung open the flap and found himself in an impromptu dance room, one that had been set up for practice for the girls. Several of them were already on the floor, stretching out their muscles and preparing for their routine. It was still fairly early so there was a good chance they hadn’t really gotten started on their warm ups. As soon as he walked in, one of the girls spotted him and shot him a look of annoyance. She was a teenager of sixteen maximum probably but she had the attitude of a middle aged woman as she walked over to him, her hands on her hips the entire time. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore an even black unitard, with a pink tutu wrapped around her waist. Looked like, even in practice, they liked to wear the tutus.

“Ex-cuuuse me. This is a private tent for members of the crew and Pink Tiara group only. We don’t need any homeless people trying to come in and wreck the place,” she stated simply, stopping in front of the God Slayer and looking up at him with a sneer.
Mythal scoffed. "Classy,” he remarked as he reached into his jacket and pulled out the job posting. "I’m here to talk wit’ someone about this,” he said, unfolding the paper and holding it out for her to see.

Immediately her eyes lit up with excitement. “Like oh my god, did you find someone? Oh my god, you must be the dad. Sorry – it’s just you look kind of… poor,” she continued, taking a moment to address his clothing with her eyes. Ironically he had worn some of his best clothing today; guess it wasn’t up to snuff by her standards. “Are you her dad or something? Where is she?” The girl snatched the posting from him, eager to see the name of the replacement. “I’m Becky, the captain of the Pink Tiara group. As I’m sure you already know, our lead singer, Ginny, decided she couldn’t handle the limelight anymore and ran off with a boy from this city. As if,” she continued her remarks without halt or thought. She read the paper and her brow furrowed in confusion. “Mythal Ragnos? That’s not a very good name for a girl. I bet you were the one that named her,” she said, casting a glance at Mythal again.

"Look, little miss sunshine,” the God Slayer started, clearly annoyed. "I didn’t wake up this mornin’ to have some teenager who hasn’t even grown into her chest yet give me sass, got it?” He ignored her audible gasp, loud enough to draw the attention of the rest of the girls in the room. "I’m Mythal Ragnos and for some reason, some weird chick signed me up for the job despite the fact that I ain’t a teenage girl. I’m…”

“Oh my god, ew!” Becky responded, reeling back like she had smelled something sour. “You’re the one that’s supposed to join the group tonight? Oh no – oh hell no! This is some kind of sick prank. Are you part of Crocus Candid? If you are, this isn’t even funny,” she said with a scoff, shaking her head and looking at Mythal in disgust.

“What’s wrong, Becky?” One of the other group members asked, walking around her side.

“This creep apparently signed himself up for the job so he could get close to girls thirty years younger than him. Can you even believe that?” The captain of the troupe announced loudly, more than happy to telephone that message all the way wrong.

"Son of a bitch, that’s not even remotely correct,” Mythal said with a groan, snatching the paper from her hands. He held it up in front of the girls, shaking it at them like an angry parent. "Some chick… signed me up… by accident. That or she’s tryin’ to make me look like an ass. Either way, I’m just here to say sorry, you ain’t gettin’ a member of Fairy Tail to help you out.”

“Wait, wait, WAIT!” Becky said, waving her hands in the air. “You’re from Fairy Tail?! They let old men into Fairy Tail?!”

The God Slayer growled. "Chick, I am three seconds from--.”

“Becky!” Another older teenager came over, this one around the same age as the captain. She had black hair that was tied into a ponytail and she walked and moved differently than the others. There was a different attitude about her, one that seemed to have an edge to it. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Tilda, this isn’t…”

“No one else has come to take the position, Becky. He’s the first one to show up and the show is tonight,” the girl snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. “We only have two options. One; we either cancel the show and attempt to find Ginny tomorrow and you apologize to her or…” She turned to look at Mythal.

"That is… I am not here to take the job!” He insisted. "You’re a bunch of a teenage girls! I’m an adult man!”

“Please; we’ve had guest performers before that were older than you,” Tilda said, snorting a laugh. “But if you think you can’t keep up with us, then we’ll just have to cancel.”

Keep up with – was this girl challenging him? Mythal narrowed his gaze as he stared at her, the teenage performer doing the exact same thing back to him. His hands curled into a fist and then opened up as he expelled an agitated noise from his mouth. "Fine!” He relented, snarling at himself. "You want a guest performer, you got it.”

“Oh my god this isn’t happening…” Becky stated, slapping her hand against her head.

“Looks like it is,” Tilda said with a small victorious smirk.

"So what is it you… children do?” Mythal asked, his voice practically a grumble.

“We perform upbeat songs about friendship and love and the beauty of the world,” Tilda responded with a grin, seemingly knowing that it was the opposite of what he would enjoy. “Normal ‘children’ show stuff.”

"I ain’t singing any song about love,” Mythal insisted. Already his mind was working, trying to make the best of a really bad situation. "Plays. Do you guys do like… plays or anythin’?”

“Pink Tiara is capable of performing anything,” Becky cut in, putting her hands on her hips. “Why? Does grandpa have an idea?”

Ignoring the comment, Mythal sighed and scratched his chin. "There’s a… show I once saw, while back. It was a musical play, with songs and love and all that junk. It was about a group of friends who had to fight an evil king and defeat him to save a town. Simple minded stuff but maybe we can adapt it – that way I’m not just a random idiot trying to dance and sing like a moron.”

Surprisingly, he noticed most of the girl’s eyes widen in excitement. “A musical? We’ve never done that before…” One of the girls said. “Becky, that sounds like fun!”

“Quiet,” the captain hissed. But even she was thinking it through, her eyes wandering slightly in thought. “Say we do this… you’d want to play the evil king?”

Mythal shrugged. "Easiest castin’ you’ll get.”

Becky turned a bit to look at Tilda and each of them shared a silent conversation, their lips tugging into smirks. “Alright,” Becky said, nodding as she looked back at Mythal. “But you still have to wear the uniform. A pink tiara and the pink tutu. I don’t think we have a unitard that’ll fit you so you’ll just have to wear those over your current outfit.”

"I ain’t…”

“Non-negotiable.” Both Becky and Tilda said at the same time, chuckling after.

The God Slayer scowled again but finally nodded. "Fine.”

“Excellent. Girls, we have routines and songs to rehearse. Mythal, Tilda is going to be teaching you a simple dance routine for your role. Don’t worry – I’ll ask one of the stagehands to find this story of yours and quickly adapt it for our music.” The captain said proudly, clapping to get the rest of the Pink Tiaras in line. “Oh and since you’re a temporary member, you get three free tickets for friends and family.” With that last comment, she led the rest of the group away.

"Great…” Mythal said, sighing.

“She’s a lot to handle but Becky is actually a great leader. Just… a bit dramatic,” Tilda said with an amused shrug. “Do you have any dance experience at all?”

"Does stumblin’ over my feet at a royal ball count?”

“Not even a little. C’mon, let’s go get you a tutu and tiara and start up,” Tilda said, waving to him.

Mythal followed after her. As he did, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his iLac. He opened up his messenger app and created a group message for himself, Serilda and Nessa. He quickly typed out ‘Wanna see me make an ass of myself? Come to the Pink Tiara show tonight in Magnolia. Ness – feel free to invite Markus along. I figure word’ll get out anyways so may as well just own it.’ Once he sent that, he shoved the item back in his pocket and continued on.

That night, the show was a resounding success. The audience, which had been expecting a mere concert, was blown out of the water by the new direction the group had taken up for this one, single night. The Pink Tiaras wove a story of close friendship and the love that they shared, theirs songs the same but interspersed with new lyrics to fit. Nessa, Markus and Serilda had been seated right at the front of the audience and were more than likely greatly entertained when Mythal made his ‘evil’ debut, attempting to intimidate the audience while wearing a pink tutu and tiara. In the end, the girl group won against him and he saw the error of his ways, swearing to champion their cause right along with them.

Reviews were raving – save for the odd man playing the evil king. His dancing was clumsy and his singing was unpracticed. But people did remark that he certainly dedicated himself to the role.