Red October [All Hallows Event | Menka]

Sign-Up

Man, time flew. Mura could’ve sworn that it was still summer… speaking of summer, what a special summer, that was.

Doing a sort of mental check on himself, he felt better… and that was all he could say to it. He was hopeless in the beginning – back in the spring rains, his life had changed to never return to the same for all time. He was a father now, but the unfortunate mother couldn’t be in his life anymore… neither in the life of these two angels. A sad fate for some out there, but a fate that Mura had time to accept. He had learned overtime… some tragedies were inevitable. Unavoidable, regardless of how much he wished for things to change. For things to have remained the same as before… when he and Mythica grew to love each other.

But Mura’s heart was bad at moving on. It desperately wanted to love someone. For now, his love for the guild he called home had driven him to increase his administrative activity inside the many walls, whereas before he’d be a little lenient with the accursed concept of ‘paperwork’. But he was still their Guildmaster, a title that he’d held for quite some time now…

…

…

“I can’t tell people apart down there,” Kyuken sighed after phasing through the door leading into Mura’s lounge, apparently exhausted by the spooky events out in the streets of Magnolia, “I’ve covered every corner, every wall with my sight already! I can’t see any signs of trouble, Muraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Are you sure something bad is brewing? Maybe that phenomenon has stopped now-“

“I can’t take any chances,” Mura replied sternly, his eyes beaming without a hint of humor. He’d met adversaries that defied all laws in this world, and they all just loved to mess around at Halloween. It was a cursed holiday in his eyes, and from his experience, people were about to lose their souls, be kidnapped for giggles, have their hearts ripped out temporarily, or even worse. He had to be ready.

“Listen… the evening’s young, Mura. How about you go out there, y’know, I’m sure the guild will manage for a couple of hours,” Kyuken suggested, trying his best to talk some sense into the paranoid swordsman, “If you want, I can help you out. Just lemme borrow your body for a few hou-“

“No.”
“W- You didn’t even let me finish!”
“I know what you’re planning.”
“… Duh?”
“You really don’t care about my feelings, do you?!”
“AND YOU CLEARLY DON’T CARE ABOUT MINE!!!”

Finally at his wit’s end, Mura lunged his hand out and grabbed a nearby 6-sided dice. “Fine, have it your way. Let’s bet on it – even, it’s your turn, and odds, I go out there. Deal?”

“Deal…”

…

…

“Damn, Menka, whatever you’ve planned to wear… better have some killer lingerie underneath it all…” Kyuken growled like a hungry dog as he walked across the hallway past the bar, catching the eyes of Adam who was wiping some mugs from visitors and raising a brow at the strange voice, rhetoric, and choice of words of their esteemed Guildmaster with strangely lavender-silver-whitish eyes.

Opening the gates and walking out, not many people recognized at first the man with smoothened, dark-brown hair in a style akin to a… well, someone from Minstrel, most likely. Adorning a black suit with a tall collar, red underside, and metal teeth formed like fangs thanks to the amazing power of Onmyōdō. Kyuken had used some time in Mura’s body to figure out how his old magic worked, which allowed him to pull off tricks like that.

But right now, he was looking for his love, the vixen who had claimed his heart long ago…

WC: 623

The festival was already in full swing and to the surprise of no one who’d spent time in Magnolia, there was a particular kitsune who was already having a ball in the middle of it. She was supposed to have met Mura at the gates of the guild but the sounds and smells had overpowered her, resulting in the slayer instead ending up where she was now. There was a costume contest going on and being one who never passed on the opportunity to show herself off, Menka was currently walking down a massive catwalk, dressed in a demon outfit, which was pretty spot on for her. The outfit showed off every curve and the brunette was having the time of her life strutting in front of the locals, who sure as heck were enjoying themselves too. The other contestants didn’t have a chance against her and the sounds of clapping could have been heard from a mile away. They were chanting her name and she loved it.

Unlike her kin, Menka had never truly desired to dominate others but she had to admit that there was something appealing about having people worship her. The feeling was amazing and as they watched every movement she made, the kitsune would become more and more intoxicated by the attention. If she wasn’t a mage, she believed that she could make a killing by performing for the masses, perhaps an idol or something. It may have seemed weird but was it honestly? She loved a life without violence and that would certainly achieve that. Putting smiles on people’s faces was just as thrilling as fighting a powerful foe.

As she showed off for the fans, her gaze would turn to see the runner of the event angrily beckoning to her, wanting her to get off the stage. He was a grumpy old git and so rather than listen, she just flicked her tails at him and carried on, much to the pleasure of the people. The kitsune would start to dance to the music that was being played, her phenomenal agility on display for the world to see. There was a reason why she was so hard to catch and those watching her would see why,

Yet, her time would sadly have to end sooner or later and the event runner eventually walked onto the catwalk and handed her a ticket of some sort. A bribe or something? Whatever it was, the fans weren’t happy to see her stop and booed the hell out of the event runner, much to Menka’s amusement. In order to save face, he announced Menka as the winner of the contest, which just about got the fans back on his side. With that, he’d then leave the kitsune to give an encore, wanting to disappear before he got mobbed or something.

As for Menka, she’d continue to dance and perform for the people, her voice seeming to light the hearts of all those who were watching and listening.

It was so much fun.

(505 Words)
(1128 TWC)
(1/4 Tickets earned.)

”Waaaaaaaaaait! Fairy Tail’s Guildmaster’s all dressed up, too!”

A couple voices recognized the dressed-up swordsman and began running up to him, many taking pictures of his fancy suit and fancy, gothic vibe. “Wait, are you a vampire now? Isn’t that a bit too cliché for a vampire outfit?” one curious boy asked with a tilting head, almost like a disapproval of the black suit with a cape, red underside, tall collar and…

“Yyyyyeeeaaahhh… Maybe a bit too stereotypical.”
“Not all vampires wear those suits – I heard that Iceberg got vampires, too! With thick sheets of armor and all!”
“Do vampires from your home country look like that? I thought you wore looser dresses.”
“Wait, aren’t we all culturally appropriating cultural outfits right now?”

“Boys, girls, frankly, I do not care- have you seen Menka?” Kyuken asked through Mura’s mouth, causing many Halloween fans to tilt their heads again. Whatever Kyuken was doing wrong right now, he could’ve avoided… because-

“C-Can’t you find her? I thought you had magical eyes, spell man!”
“You found my lost cat in 5 seconds – I’m sure you can find a fox!”
“Wait, she’s not a fox, is she? Like, a real fox… ‘cause… that’d be weird.”
“What, you fancy her?”
“I-I-I-I-W-Who doesn’t?! What, it’s not illegal”
“She’s not a real fox, so yeah… but what if-“
“Wait, no, don’t continue that sentence! I don’t wanna hear it!”
“What if she-“
“LALALALALALALALALA!”

Feeling quite bad for the now mocked, young boy with the pumpkin outfit, Kyuken rested his arm over the lad’s shoulder like a proud father would his son. “Don’t listen to those jealous wretches, young lad. You see, she’s a magical being through and through, no issues there – and I’m sure she finds cute, shy boys like you really cute,” he comforted the confused kid, “… But she’s my love, so this conversation shouldn’t even exist. And you don’t even look old enough to drink yet-“

“Wha- I’m turning 19 next year!”

“…”

Disappearing from that bewildered crowd, Kyuken continued on his search for the vixen who held his heart in a pleasant embrace. While he didn’t know how to turn on ‘magic vision’ as Mura could – and as many other mages could, one of which was never Kyuken when he was alive – he could… smell her. Her fragrant, tickling aroma.

…

A bunch of commotion got people angered at the catwalk as a fountain of blood caught their attention, turning many to heed to the helpless ‘corpse’ of a near-fainted Kyuken in Mura’s body, lines of blood escaping his nostrils without end. “OH SHIT, SOMEBODY! HE’S, HE’S… h-he’s bleeding out of his nose? WAIT A MINUTE, I KNOW THIS PHENOMENON!!!”

The commotion turned into a lot of boo’ing, not wanting the Guildmaster to hoard the vixen’s entertaining parade all to himself, but at the same time, other people backed Mura up and began arguing with the rest – Mura’s fainted corpse was flung around in the air, until he landed on the catwalk itself.

“M-Meeeeenkaaaaaaaa…”

WC: 501
TWC: 1629

So lost was she in the excitement that Menka didn’t notice what was going on at first. The kitsune simply just kept dancing, showing off her impressive figure for the world to see. There was sure as heck no shame on her part although anyone who knew her wouldn’t be surprised. When had Menka ever said no to having a little fun? Today was no exception and even after she’d won the competition, her fans had no interest in seeing her little show end. They might have rioted had she stopped and so for the good of all, she kept going. The temptation to use her magic was a little too strong and she created a sugar candy armour which briefly covered her form. It wasn’t Halloween Esque as such but they lapped it up regardless and with a smile, she’d create a batch of cookies and throw them into the crowd, getting another roar of approval in response. She was the sugar queen of Magnolia or that was how it felt.

It was only when Mura’s body landed with a thump on the catwalk that she realised what was going on and the kitsune snapped out of her dance in an instant, much to the bemusement of the crowd. They weren’t happy and started booing although at Mura rather than her. With a sigh, Menka would wander over to the Guildmaster and crouch down beside him, before tapping in her powers of blood in order to heal whatever damage had been done. She had no idea what had happened to him but she was concerned enough to undo any damage straight away. The Fairy Tail mage was awfully fond of Mura, as well as his spirit companion and she believed that they were all quite close at this point. The relationship was complicated but one that Menka was happy to be a part of. Sadly, she’d heard that he had a lot on his plate lately and because of that, they hadn’t been able to meet until now.

The crowd were getting bored at this point and started to move away although the kitsune received quite a few nice comments and one or two that weren’t. She was used to that of course and it didn’t bother her too much. Filtering the negative ones out, she’d keep working on Mura, doing her best to get him back to full fitness.

“Come on, Mura, talk to me.” She uttered gently, her tails starting to tease him a bit by tickling his form. He was wearing a rather unusual costume for the event and Menka mused that it was rather different for him. Perhaps he just wanted to try something different? She was certainly not complaining, thinking that he looked rather stylish in his vampiric garb. Menka couldn’t help but smile at that, considering that one of her magics was based on them.

(482 Words)
(2111 TWC)

… He didn’t feel so dehydrated anymore, all of a sudden. It was Kyuken’s thoughts, overall – deep inside, Mura was withering in his defeat with that damn dice. He’d have his time to shine once again, he assured that damn guy…

“… K-Kiki… k-k-ki-ticklyyy…” Kyuken giggled himself awake, finally opening his eyes to take in the view in its entirety… and oh boy, he did not dislike that view. Preposterous to think that any engagement with Menka was undesired – especially in silly situations like these. His eyes clouded by hearts, Kyuken’s absent-minded smile returned just as always, all worries cast aside. “Menkaaaaaaaaa~! Damn, you look good – that outfit looks good on you, too…!” he expressed with a beating heart, all ready to just throw himself over her-

OI!!! NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! WAIT UNTIL THE FESTIVAL’S OVER!

“A-Argh, o-okay, fine Mura… wait, Halloween’s gonna last until midnight! No fair, I can’t wait that long!” Kyuken groaned, turning his sobbing eyes towards Menka dearest, “And here I wanted to roll around on this catwalk with you, now that everyone left…” Not one to hide his intentions whatsoever, Kyuken bravely expressed them – knowing that a vixen with a heart as big as her tits, such as Menka, fully emphasized with his craving for tender, loving touches.

Buuuuuuut since Mura was being such a snob, Kyuken could wait until midnight… and then he’d immediately undress her. No buts. Oh, just the thought of it made his legs shiver…

“… *cough* A-Anyway, now that I found you, how ‘bout we go check out the other places? Maybe they got some spiky drinks… oh, found one! They look like they’re selling drinks,” he proclaimed, pointing at a nearby potion booth. Jolly as he was alongside his vixen lover, Kyuken gladly made his way towards the booth and came to realize that it was a ‘self-mix magic potion’ kind of booth…

“Oh, welcome! God of Mettle, and Fairy Tail's very own Menka as well~!” the cosplaying witch greeted them both with a bow, “Please, do try and mix up a very special potion for yourselves. I’ve made sure to only include the most virtually harmless ingredients, but they will change something on you… temporarily, of course! If you got the brave wizard hearts that your guild boasts of, then by all means, have a g-“

“Is one of the ingredients alcohol?”

“… H-Huh? Oh, wait, alcohol? Kids drink these potions too, y’know… but I can make an exception!” the witch stated, putting down an alcoholic beverage in front of Kyuken along with all the other ingredients. “You too, scantily-clad-vixen-who-I’m-quite-jealous-of-right-now~! Maybe the potion you’ll create will make your chest bigger… or mine, for a change…” the witch further informed Menka with an air of… self-loathing? Despair? Somehow, just looking at Menka made the witch feel bad about herself, but she tried to hide it behind a friendly smile… to the best of her abilities.

Kyuken didn’t hesitate and just mixed a bunch of random ingredients in, then poured the entire alcohol bottle down. Then, he finished up and drank the potion in one sitting, grinning proudly at Menka. “Hehehe! Guess Mura’s gotten more resistant to alcohol lately – good for him! Once upon a time, he’d keel over at a drop-“

*Poof*

“… H-Huh? Did something happen to me?” he asked out, wondering why his voice wasn’t as raspy as before. He’d lost quite some height too… in reality, the potion did do something to him – it turned Mura from the 24-year old clearly-apparent-adult into the 19-year old must-not-be-named entity known as…

…

Shōnen… not shota, but clearly one who’d get bullied by big, macho dude bros. A state he was in right before Vandrad was so generous as to help him work out, and a state that’d likely bring back quite some steamy memories from the time they met back in Hosenka.

WC: 646
TWC: 2757
(2/4 Tickets earned.)

Menka’s jaw dropped as she looked at her Guild Master. It was like he suddenly regressed in age and had the appearance of a teenager rather than an adult. Well, that was certainly going to make things a little awkward and the kitsune wondered if perhaps it was a little bit of revenge from the cosplaying witch for them making her feel a little underdeveloped. The mage doubted that but stranger things had happened and the woman did seem awfully unhappy about something. There was a look in her eyes which saddened the brunette woman and the lightning slayer hoped that she’d feel a bit happier soon. No one deserved to be miserable and she was a believer in the idea that everyone was special.

As for Kyuken, who’d made it fully clear that it was him due to his way of talking to her, the kitsune wasn’t sure what to say to him at first. Eventually though, a smile crept onto her face and a chuckle escaped her lips. “I’m not sure what was in that potion but it seems to have turned you into a mini Mura.” Her eyes sparkled with whimsy and it was quite a funny reaction to the potion although the slayer wondered how long the effects would last. She’d hate for them to affect their fun later on, after all. “I hope you at least get a ticket for going through with that.”

Curious to take part in the activity herself, Menka would proceed to walk to the cauldron beside Kyuken’s and do the same thing as him, dropping a variety of ingredients into the pot and stirring it with as much vigour as she could. Her tails danced around her as she went about her work, having a lot of fun as she went about her task. It was quite a lot of fun and given her cookie creating abilities, she’d always had a good grasp of cooking and such. In about five minutes or so, she’d complete her task, a lovely smelling scent coming from the cauldron and without any thought, she’d down the pink coloured liquid, its sweet taste trickling down her throat.

The effect was quite quick and before she could say anything, her hair and tails turned white as though she’d been caught in a snow storm, while her eyes turned an icy blue. There was also a chilly aura that seemed to stem from her, much to her bemusement. Luckily, her figure hadn’t changed much although the gentle warmth that she usually gave off had. The witch smiled and gave her a ticket for taking part, seemingly pleased.

Confused by what was going on, Menka put her hands on her hips, looking a little miffed. “What the heck happened?”

(461 Words)
(3218 TWC)
(3/4 Tickets.)

Panic ensued. Menka looked shocked at first, so Mura… Kyuken, really, ran his hands all over his new form, noticing a lack of… width. And by Menka’s second comment, it became quite clear that he’d shrunk, somehow. “M-Mini…?” he asked in fear, his face whitening as he tried to keep a smile up… a smile conveying a man astonished by the cast dice on his life, “Wait, d-does that mean…”

Swiftly, his hand was moved under the counter where he sat, and… his face returned to a relieved state. “Nevermind… almost panicked for a moment, there.”

“S-Sorry if it frightened you… but you’ve earned this Ticket. Please take it,” the cosplaying witch apologized, handing smaller Mura a fresh Ticket for him to carry, “It’ll only last until midnight, when the full moon is in its finest shine.”

Compared to his chaotic mixing of potions, feigning the appearance of an experienced alchemist, Menka looked much more intent with her choices – mostly due to having more than two, prehensile limbs, that magical wonder woman. Only one of her many, irresistible quirks, and one Kyuken couldn’t live without – Menka was a whole package to be embraced, and the only buffet involved was the choice of bedding for their night-

Goddamn, he couldn’t wait anymore… wait-

Something did actually happen to Menka… her colors changed! Her tails, before a chocolate-brown with a reddish hue, were now white as snow-covered silver. Her crimson eyes, which could strip him naked by gaze alone, were now an icy-blue…

“Not much, really… your hair’s changed color – it’s all white now. Your eyes turned blue, too – other than that, you’re still irresistibly alluring, so I think your potion was masterfully crafted,” Kyuken congratulated her in a sense with a thumbs-up, “… I do feel weirdly naughty, you almost look like a different perso-“

One strong gaze further down from her face made things clearer to him, before he could finish his previous sentence.

“-Nevermind, you’re all good.”

Further into their little date, Kyuken also spotted that a long roller coaster was built around Magnolia Town, and since roller coasters meant turbulence – and any turbulent motions applied to Menka in her current outfit would be a godsend – Kyuken’s eyes were shining like stars. “Let’s get our hearts racing, Menka~! Don’t let any of their tricks scare you – I’ll be by your side until the end of everything! Even death won’t stop me – you know that, already!”

WC: 406
TWC: 3624
(3/4 Tickets.)

There was something a little weird about this new transformation of hers and as Menka glanced around at the people around her, she had this weird desire to grab one of them and take off. There was no real explanation as to why and she felt a little uncomfortable in this new skin of hers, she still felt like a Shinden but not quite like normal. Maybe it was just the potion or something but she’d be glad when it ran out later. There was something odd going on.

When Kyuken mentioned the roller coaster that was travelling all around the festival, she flicked her white ears for a second, thinking over whether to try it. He seemed so eager to try it that she couldn’t really say no and the thought of riding on such a thing sounded like a lot of fun. A part of her wished that she’d worn tighter clothing if she was going to ride such a thing but the daring part of her soon pushed that aside. It would be a lot of fun and she wanted to make the most of the time she had with her partner, small version or not.

“Sure, I’m up for it, I’ll keep an eye on you too in case things get a little hair raising.” She replied with a smirk, giving her a slightly different look to how she normally would. There was something weird about this appearance and it made her seem more threatening, even when she didn’t need to be. What was going on?

As they walked over to the ride, Menka would try to return to her normal appearance but amazingly nothing happened. Her transforming powers had been nullified due to the potion and it seemed as though she was stuck for the time being. She guess she’d just have to get used to her current look for a while.

Clambering into the car when they reached it, Menka would scoot over to let Kyuken in and turn to him with a grin. “This should be fun.” She said cheerfully.

(347 Words)
(3971 TWC)
(3/4 Tickets)

As if Kyuken was too cowardly to be frightened by a mere roller coaster… Halloween-themed or not, what was the worst thing that could happen? I mean, glancing at Menka once more was… actually quite more frightening, which put him off for a moment – when did she look so… intimidating? Was it the white tails and hair? Her icy eyes? It gave off a chilling aura that could easily be associated with snow-white facades, but Menka was usually the polar opposite – warm and melting.

“*gulp* Y’know… white suits you, a bit,” he commented, “It doesn’t look out of line or too enforced… actually looks good, if you think about it. No worries there, my lovely Menka~”

Hopefully, she wouldn’t be worried about her appearance after his approval – he still found her drawing his abdomen closer and closer toward her with every step they took, until he had to take a seat next to her on the coaster ride. “Hmh hmh! I bet they got some silly pranks to pull on us, being Halloween and all… but there’s nothing I can’t guard you from! Just stick very close to me-“ he promised, swiping an arm around Menka’s shapely waist, “-And I’ll keep you and your new, attractive façade safe from any of their cheap scares. Y’know, this year’s Halloween’s been really tame compared to the previous years – I bet there’s nothing to worry about-“

Oh, they were already at the top of the first arc of the ride. They could see all of Magnolia Town from here, and even the grasslands and the river spanning beyond the city walls. And then… the descent!

And Kyuken wasn’t scared of the images that suddenly played above them as they entered a dark, dark tunnel… but he was astonished. He saw what looked like projected videos of… himself. A white haori dipped in blood, two blades, slaying mercenaries and adversaries left and right without a break- he remembered all of that!

“Is that… that’s me! Menka, look, that’s me!” he panicked, pointing up towards the projected screens, “Wait, how the hell did they get all of that?! Who filmed me- did cameras exist back then?! Did iLacs? Is this… oh no, this must be some sort of spell!” Certainly, it was the most likely outcome – however, looking at his past self sort of carrying his own weight, slicing his enemies like they were butter akin to the same way Mura fought with his sword, was… new. A new perspective to his life.

“I… I sure was bloodthirsty,” he reflected upon his past self, “Wait, that means… oh, please don’t show the last parts… I beg you, random memory-filming spell- OH!”

His wish was granted, but a new scene unfolded – a lady, rather, the heir of a demon-hunting clan appeared to relax in a hot spring, and Kyuken… was there too. Looking flustered, at first, but then easing in to the heir, and she appeared rather feisty herself. Then one thing happened, another thing happened, and-

Kyuken’s face was red as a tomato, trying to cover Menka’s eyes. “Y-Y-Y-You don’t have to see that… I-I mean, it was centuries ago, n-nothing to worry about-“ It was less wanting to embarrass her, which was one hell of a challenge, and more of an attempt to hide his own embarrassment at seeing himself… like that.

WC: 558
TWC: 4529
(4/4 Tickets)

The eyes of the kitsune were drawn to the screens before her, the smile that was on her face fading away. What she saw was not something that she wished to and having to relive her past in such a way made her skin crawl. The white haired woman could see her training with her mother, all those years ago, the rough treatment that had driven her away. It’d been a horrible time, being forced to learn something that she’d not actually desired. She’d never cared about being a slayer back then and hadn’t been interested in following the family creed. She’d quarrelled with her mother so many times and those fights were what were being shown before her. Most of them had only been verbal and there wasn’t any violence but she knew at least one encounter that did.

That was the one that she saw next, the night that she and her mother had actually fought for real. A painful battle that had been the straw that had broken the camel’s back. A personal fight that had destroyed the building that they’d been in. They’d fought tooth and nail for what felt like forever, before Menka finally broke away and fled, leaving her home forever and disappearing into the realm of the humans. She’d never seen her mother again nor had any further communication with her. A clean break but in the end, it’d been what was best for Menka.

Shaking her head, she’d turn to Kyuken, noticing that he looked rather more embarrassed than frightened and after glancing at his screen for a moment, she’d manage to crack a smile. “Reminds me of when we first met, in that lovely public bath, when the two of you managed to convince me to join Fairy Tail. It changed my life forever.”

Taking his hand in order to help steady him and herself, she’d add after a second. “I’ve got no idea how they know all this but it sure does a good job.”

(335 Words)
(4864 TWC)
(5/4 Tickets earned.)

What the hell kind of… y’know what, Kyuken pretended not to have seen any of that. Instead, he remembered back to when they met for the first time… and his face turned into a heating stone, releasing steam akin to the hot springs of Hosenka. “Mhm… so glad we met back then,” he relieved, the rest of the coaster ride turning into white noise behind the chemistry of his and Menka’s.

Her hand was reassuring… that they’d enjoy so many other adventures together. In Fairy Tail, where they all met and resided in the end.

…

After the coaster ride, Kyuken glared at the Cathedral in the distance – the large clock had its long hand 4 minutes until midnight! Every neuron in Mura’s body lit up like a lighthouse, tugging on Menka’s hand to beckon her his way towards the guild hall again – at this time of the night, it was when most other visitors were preparing to go home after having partied all evening, but the office was still accessible for the Guildmaster!

“So close, so close, so clooooooooose…” he hissed and begged, taking her all the way into the office to spend the rest of the night in just their own company. Just the two- three of them…

WC: 210
TWC: 5074
(5/4 Tickets earned.)

END