Welcome to Greatest City Comsopolicropolis. Please inform us if there is a greater city so that we may overcome it. New arrivals will be deposited in the hexagon of their people. 

...

Kitsune, such a people does not yet exist in Great City Cosmopolicropolis. How can this be? Cosmopolicropolis is the city of all peopleses. Generating new hexagon.

Here is a hexagon of flat grassy land, around a fourth of a square mile. Surrounding it are paved streets, and on the other side of each street another hexagon. Most of the neighbors aren't flat; they have forests or apartment buildings or dirt mounds or a tall and shiny tower. In the distance, many more hexagons and a skyline full of buildings. 

Here is the Key to your Hexagon. It is made of gold and crystal, with an image of a fox head on the bow. It belongs to your people. 

Ooh, shiny! She catches it with her tail and admires the shininess.

...Uhhh, what? A city? That's really not what she expected from the rift. Did it 'catch' her and move her here? And generated a new area just for her? Oh, for Kitsune more generally... Interesting... Yeah, she probably will be able to go home through the spirit world, or create a path for some of the more wandersome Kitsune to get here, come to think of it.

She runs the perimeter of 'her people's space', observing the surrounds with a flicker of orange flame and the shiny Key on her tail.

Running the perimeter of this hexagonal flatland, the paved streets are mostly empty with the occasional pedestrian or cart. On the other side of each street are the following:

To the north, apartment buildings of red brick, four stories tall. From balconies, one-eyed cyclopslike men and women look down and point. 

To the northeast, a dark forest, faces watching through the trees.

To the southeast, nothing at all. Not even flat ground, just empty hex. 

To the south, a grey factory complex, chimneys pointing into the sky. The smoky air does not cross into the streets.

To the southwest, a tower tower, filling almost the entirety of the space provided, covered in many colors of shining metal and grass.

To the northwest, dirt mounds full of giant ants, who continue at their work and pay the new arrival no mind.

The people to the north are correct and proper! They are appreciating her!

She comes back to them after her circuit and wags her tail and shows off a bit, doing great leaps into the air and backflips and rolls and leaving pretty spirals of blue flame in the air and laughing, though it comes out as more of a series of happy yips in fox form!

They cheer and applaud at the acrobatics and flame. Soon there are many more of these guys out on the balconies; most one-eyed but some with two or even three eyes. A couple more serious ones only look out for a moment before going back inside.

Wow, they grow eyes like she's gonna grow extra tails soon! They say it takes about a century, and she must be close now, they've gone though at least two different Kings that she's aware of... Anyway! This is fun, but the key seems kind of important. She stops showing off after a while and-

-She doesn't want to go humanoid right now, it's expensive, not hugely so but definitely not something to do trivially. So not quite yet. She goes a bit away from the apartments and puts the key on the ground in front of herself and tries to, like, magically poke at it. She was never very good with human magic, or whatever other exotic form of magic this is, though.

They wave again, but once the show is done most will go back inside. 

The key vibrates, magically, when poked. Something in the air and the land is poked too, and gentle breeze picks up.

The key is a key and it is full of the possibility to lock and unlock. Even someone with no magic at all could probably feel that turning it one way locks this place and the other unlocks it. What else it can do if poked in different ways is harder to tell.

Oooooh. Ooh. Ooh. Poke poke poke poke.

She wants a nice breeze. She wants light clouds. She wants trees! She wants a shrine! Poke poke poke poke.

Clouds, the key can do. Vegetation and buildings, not much. It mostly cooperates with wanting more or less clouds or wind in different directions, but occasionally poking gets an unexpected gust, suddenly cools the entire area, or makes the air smell a bit worse. 

This is really cool!! It's novel and interesting enough that she will keep at it for a while, trying to get a feel for the range of things and make things she did accidentally happen on purpose, again. Cold! Wind! Smells! They could have snow days!! She could do great kite shows if she can control the gusts finely enough!! 

It is actually kind of hard to get precise control, and the air still doesn't smell exactly normal. But heat and cold are doable, warm or cold wind, and enough wind for kite flying even if not precise enough to directly control the kites. Partway through her experimentation, she will be interrupted. 

A group of six have crossed the street. They approach, but stop once they reach a respectful distance. Four of them wear padded vests, quivers on their backs; they are holding bows. Not drawn back yet, but ready if needed. One wears basic work clothes and carries a woven basket. One wears red robes decorated with gold thread, and a brass amulet. The ones holding bows have two eyes, the one with the basket one eye, and the one in robes three eyes. The one in robes steps in front of the others and speaks a greeting in some language. 

She's not afraid of bows. She might be afraid of machine guns if that skyscraper over there has any. Or magic. Some kitsune can see magic, but she can't- She has plenty of other powers though, no need to get too greedy.

...Okay, she's a little afraid of losing the shiny if there's a scuffle. It goes into her tail, the fur swallowing it up without a trace when she smacks it over the key.

...Wait, skyscraper? Huh.

She sits imperiously, facing them fur puffed up and billowing majestically in the strong breeze, and uses her illusion magic to create sound. It's basically the same as talking. She even moves her muzzle and lips for it!

"I'm afraid I don't understand you. This is Notal, the language I know best. I also speak a bit of the North Tongue, Atsosi. And I also know enough Kalgin to get by."

Headtilt, to see if any of those landed.

The brass amulet opens up, revealing metal lips inside. They move and speak in a tinny voice. "Notal, the language I know best. I also speak a bit of the North Tongue, Atsosi. And I also know enough Kalgin to get by." The amulet then repeats the same in their language. 

Then the person in robes speaks in their language, but the amulet repeats in Notal: "We greetings. In the name of Great City Cosmopolicropolis, the name of our own people the Eyerarchy, and the name of Max Regular Hexagon Zone Residential. We bring an offering of neighborliness."

The one holding the basket opens the lid, revealing colorful fruits inside.

An offering! It gives her a flush of happiness. She knew these people were good sorts!

Ahem. Maintain poise for now. Maximum solemnitude.

"I accept the offering in the spirit of neighborliness, with gratitude. My people are the Kitsune, and I am the only one here now, but that may change soon. The path remains open, I can feel it clearly. Though I cannot say I expected it to lead to a Great City."

“The greatest city!”

”Pardon. If you are to brink your people, we welcome neighbors all to the tapestry of Cosmopolicropolis. When you are ready, we welcome visiting to our homes, and offer introductions with relevant persons and institutions.”

While the translation thing works, she gently nabs the basket with the tip of her long long tail, then nomfs the topmost fruit.

"I will not bring them or keep them away. If my sisters are interested, they will come. If not, they will stay. Now is a fine time for introductions, as you can see there is little here to keep me busy yet."

The topmost fruit is dark red, and tastes a combination of sweet, tart, and bitter

"Introductions to us are good now, but visiting and bringing visiting here..." A pensive pause made even longer by the translation gap. "There is danger in departing your hex or accepting powerful guests before bringing allies who protect against many who would take your key."

Hahahaha... She'd like to see them try. Not to brag or anything, but only the really top tier of the nasty monsters back home are much threat, and those are generally stupid enough to turn around in an illusion.

Except... Well, a word of caution is something to listen to. And people are smart, and always a lot trickier than dumb brutes.

"I am not weak. Though I don't know what is weak or strong in this city, bows are no threat to me. Would these dangers pose a threat to bystanders? I would lament to see innocents hurt through my recklessness."

The translator amulet processes the comment about bows and the archers crankily protest. The robed one raises a hand to silence them. 

“Pardon. The pride of twos is binocular vision and use of projectile.”

“Great heroes and dragons can ruin and burn. Usually, they do not fight directly. To take a key from someone alone, they may.”

Amused yip. "I'm sure you both are fine archers, equal to the great Robin Hood. A dragon would be... Difficult. What do you advise, then? Fetching sisters of mine who can warn and protect and distract?"

"Advise allies who can warn and protect and distract. Allies must be trustworthy, any of your people can take and use the key. I cannot say too much but can warn this. Our people were betrayed by one of our lowest, a single one, now our key and hex are not our own."

Barely audible, the distant roar of an engine. 

Her ears twitch to the engine noise, but she dismisses it as background.

Whaaaaat? A kitsune betray their kind?

Okay, sure, pranks and mean jokes happen sometimes. She still remembers what happened in Whitewater. But... Some of them are not very smart, it is true. They could be tricked, or take a prank too far, even if it's not really malicious. She'll just have to take responsibility and impress on anyone she finds how serious it is. Some kitsune are weird kitsune. She's weird along several axes.

"Hmm... That is tragic. If we have time, I would like to hear the full story later. Serious things are so stressful, though... This should be exciting, not worrying, don't you think?"

A downcast look. "Were this the golden age, new arrivals should be time of nothing but celebration and excitement. Things are not as they should be. I cannot say too much."

"...Enough of such dark topics." Her tail whaps the ground firmly. "I would like to hear of you! Why are eye-numbers important? Do you gain them with age? I have never seen such a thing, it is interesting. Do you know of the neighbors in the forest? Are my questions annoying? What would you have from Kitsunes as neighbors?"

A smile, at the move to better topics. "One eye sees the simple world and work to be done. Two eyes see the depth of the world and the movement of the spear. Three eyes see the depth of the soul and the movement of the spirits. Four eyes see the truth and what must be done." This is a soothing rhythmic phrase in the original language, though the translation amulet butchers it.

"We do not typically gain or lose eyes. To lose is a great tragedy, to take more is to claim the Eyerarchy incorrect in eye place assignment. The forest is of an elf people. They are secret not neighborly but some trade fruit and art and song. We gladly answer questions we can say the answers of, out of spirit of neighborliness. We would have first assurance of a safe boundary, second positive relations and to know each other. We do not know your possibilities yet but hope that a new people established remember the friendly greeting and any help establishing from the Eyerarchy."

Mrrrrrr being all Maximum Solemnitude is grating on her. She already wants to break off into a sprint somewhere else. (Her ears and tail are twitching about it.)

"You can be sure I will remember it. I don't know where to start describing 'our possibilities', I admit."

The one in robes gives Weiss an understanding look. "With our fruit basket given and introductions made, we may return home and then return here at another time for discussion of possibilities and dealings when you are ready?"

"Maybe for the best. I'll go fetch some sisters, I think."

The group waves goodbye and heads back to their apartment buildings.

The sound of an engine gets closer and louder, prompting them to get out of here in a hurry.

Cops. Her very first thought at an approaching vehicle is 'cops', for some reason.

...One the one hand, dealing with that sounds like a pain in the ass. On the other hand, messing with cops does sound pretty fun. On the tail, if she just lets them do whatever they wanna do while she's away, they could set a trap or something. And this place is hers. 

She'd be a lot more inclined to run if the magical overstructure of the City hadn't all but told her 'this place is for Kitsunes'. She has a responsibility to defend it! In both the realms of physical defense and what she's getting the sense is a battle of legitimacy or influence, homeowner's association style.

She brings the key out from her tail long enough to set a stiff breeze at their backs, then hides it again. Godspeed, eye people.

And then......

She becomes invisible and sneaky-sneaks over to part of the hex closest to where the engine noise is coming from, to listen and watch.

A silvery autowagon races through the streets, swerving around the much slower creature-drawn carts. It screeches to a stop at the edge of the hex and deposits a somewhat discombobulated official. 

"Oh my, must they drive like that?"

A very fancy pigeon, walking on two legs like a respectable biped, stumbles out and steadies himself. He puffs up and walks into the hex, surveying the flatland. "Hello? New arrival? I expect it's confusing, just appearing here. They sent me here to get you up to speed."

"Hello?"

This one doesn't need a magic bangle, hmm?

...(An illusion of) her fox form pops up from a 'burrow' a couple hundred feet away and trots over, head tilted curiously.

While an avian has reason to flee a canid in the state of nature, this has no bearing on how they interact while in a city and it is most uncouth to react and if it were otherwise! Walking forward and raising a hand in greetings with only a bit of fearful feather-ruffling. 

The minister looks at the (illusory) fox and speaks, without needing any item to translate. “I am the Minister of New Peoples Acquisition, here to help you, a new people. Who are you?”

Biiiiiird. Delicious bird. Who can't see her. She could just leap-

No. Bad brain. You definitely can't eat any people.

She (her illusion and physical body both) lays down calmly a good twenty feet away, to be reassuring and reduce temptation.

"Weiss, a Kitsune. I'm quite surprised to be here, I fell through a hole in the spirit world, but the City's welcome message was very reassuring!"

“Weiss, good to meet you. Glad you feel welcomed and not alarmed, the last individual to spontaneously appear in a new hex was much more agitated. We usually try to find peoples and invite them here, less confusing that way. But some just arrive.”

"Fate works in mysterious ways sometimes. We do like spontaneity, as a general rule."

“Truly, fate and chance.”

This fox seems to be friendly, though the minister is still a bit nervous. He sits down, to match her lying down, and continues talking.

”Well, now that you are here, I can give you our usual invitation and explanation. Or, if there are questions already, I can answer.”

Let's not just go straight to assuming bad faith. The eye guys probably have a point, but at least let the Bureaucracy talk, eh?

"Can the key produce a forest or shall we have to do it the long way? Other than that, I can just hear the standard pitch. I think we're unusual in wants and needs, kitsunes, compared to, oh, purely physical people generally."

Unusual wants and needs, that makes things harder. 

“The key doesn’t make forests. Need to plant those the old way, or bring in trees already grown.”

”Ahem. The Peopleses Autocthonic Republic of Cosmopolicropolis. When the very first peoples arrived here, they found the heart of the city already formed, and a hexagon of land created for each of them. Many have followed, creating a great city for all peoples in all our variety and splendor. Now you may be the next. Well you already are the next.”

“As the first of your people to arrive, you receive the hexagon and the key. Power over and responsibility for a piece of our city is now yours.”

“It is impossible to do all this alone. So the tyrant of Cosmopolicropolis invites all with keys to the palace. You can meet the important figures of the city. Request resources and support, discuss what will be built on your hex. Make friends and contacts. A royal suite and countless associated amenities are also available, at the expense of our generous tyrant.”

Well, there's the carrot. The stick, one presumes, is to be revealed when within swording range of the palace guard.

Gosh, a palace, though. She doesn't see those often. You could get up to so much mischief there.

She nods pleasantly, tail slowly swaying.

"I don't imagine I should rush into things. We can accept graves, I know that, if there are peoples who wish their honored dead to be interred in proper soil- There's an important symbolism there. It's hard to explain."

It makes Kitsunes stronger, or at least makes certain things easier, by thinning the boundary between the real world and the spirit world.

"Would I be permitted an appropriate retinue?"

Nobles have 'retinues' instead of 'friends', right?

The minister chirps happily. “A mausoleum. There are traditions who would have use of such a place. I can put you in contact with their leaders.”

”As for a retinue, a small group is welcome. Do you need any help assembling one or do you already have one?” Please don’t want too many people, ouch the budget. 

"I'll have to go find them. As I said, I fell through the Spirit World."

“Aha! If you need any help finding them, tell me. The Ministry of New Peoples Acquisition employs explorers to travel the beyond and track down new peoples. I can send some.”

"That could prove very interesting. I think only Kitsunes could navigate the Spirit World reliably, as far as I know. It truly is heartwarming to see an organized and efficient welcome. Do you have any documents or such for me to review, describing how things are done? Perhaps some case studies or histories? One imagines some people might not appreciate being Acquired by the Ministry," she continues in the exact same pleasant tone. "I would like to better understand the process!"

“Oh. If your spirit world is accessible only to yours then our noosphere guys may not be much help. Still worth a try, if you’d like.”

”I can have documents brought to you but my translation only covers spoken words. It may be difficult to read them. I can speak of other cases myself or find others who would tell the story of their acquisition. As for unappreciated acquisition, this is not common. When the ministry sends agents to make the invitation, we only bring people to the city if they accept. Very few would cooperate with our city when acquired otherwise. For individuals who appear as you did, we have procedures to send those who do not wish to be here somewhere else.”

"I really need to find Tessa then. She's a total nerd and would love to learn new languages and governance structures. There's no rush, is there? Haste makes waste!" She singsongs the last bit. "Hmm, do people here like gold and jewels and stuff? I have some of that."

“It sounds like this Tessa would enjoy meeting several of my colleagues in the ministries. Many peoples here trade in gold or jewel. I prefer paper myself, less heavy.” 

One would think that, with occasionally periods of contact with several other worlds and magic systems, someone would find one made of gold or an easy way to create it. But so far none of them have had an easy solution.

"I could hardly have accumulated whatever fiat the city prints on bills before arriving! It is starting to sound like I should go find my most responsible sisters and bring them over 'fore aught else, hmm?"

And if the 'tyrant', what a wonderfully unpromising word for the translation to choose, is especially odious, she should probably not inflict him upon the people, come to think of it. Ahh, that's a problem for later.

The translation spell means tyrant in the classical sense, an individual who took power in ways against previous custom and law. Odious as he may be, the minister certainly isn’t trying to say that.

“Of course, though someone can give directions to an exchange.” Looking around. “Probably near the tower? Whether to bring the retinue first, it depends on how well you get along. Only one holds the key and all associated. Some quarrelsome peoples, the first individual asks to hire guards and gets a secure room in the palace before we bring in any others. You know yours better than I. Up to you when it is best to invite more.”

She doubts guards would make her much safer... Except as extra pairs of eyes and common sense detectors...

"We're not free of pranksters and troublemakers but I wouldn't describe us as quarrelsome, no. I appreciate you taking the time to come see me- It's just that there's hardly anything to be done quite yet except spread the word that we'd be happy to host a mausoleum - at some point - as long as we can have Kitsune attendants serving rites. The tower? You don't mean that one, do you?" She looks to the skyscraper bordering this hex. "I don't suppose you have a map on you that I could label in Notal?"

“That one, yes. Just a guess. Hard to keep an up to date map. We move the hexes around when we need to. It’s not too hard to find a local map, most places.”

"Oh, that sounds convenient." For screwing around with uncooperative peoples. "Yes, I thank you for the visit and I'm sorry you've driven out for not too much but I really should go fetch more of my people if we're taking this seriously. I'm not sure if you're the correct person to talk to for arranging some basic supplies in exchange for gold- It sounds like you'd have people for that rather than handling it yourself, Minister?"

“I do have assistants for basic tasks. Most of my work is in the palace making introductions and sending for the appropriate people to make these arrangements. Like arranging a meeting between you and someone in need of a mausoleum. A lot easier with everyone in one building.”

”Driving out to meet a new people is not much trouble. Better that I make the first introduction, it is my job. Once you make it to the palace, I can bring in anyone you want to get supplies from or get in contact with. Harder to do with you out here. I’ll send an assistant. To help you while you take time to build your retinue.”

"There's no rush. I'll likely be gone for most of a day, at least, perhaps two or three."

“Very well then, and safe travels. I will just return in a few days, when you are ready. If you need to get in contact before then, send a letter to my office by guild courier.”

"Good day to you as well! To the future, neighborliness, and prosperity!"

After the food Minister leaves, she's curious about these elves and wonders if any will come say hi if she sits on the side of the road near them for a while.

The people in the forest made themselves scarce as soon as they heard the engine, none can be seen. Even after a while, no one comes out to say hello.

Well, fair enough.

She takes out a few gold coins, the kind on a string with a hole in the middle, clinking nicely where it's held in her tail, then goes back to the eye people and looks for someone with Many Eyes, or else who wants to talk to her.

"I want to pay you guys to build something!"

In between the apartment buildings where the eye people live, there is a central common area. It has market stalls, a notice board with flyers, someone standing on a crate giving a speech, and many of these same eye-people going about their daily lives. 

Most people don't have any type of translation, but displaying the coins gets a message across. A one-eyed youth fetches an three-eyed elder who has a similar translation amulet. He then hears the request and– "We have laborers build things for pay. Architect and materials possessed or sourced?"

"Materials sourced. Architect unsure. I have an aesthetic I want followed but no precise plans. It does not need to be precise. A small construction a bit like a shed and a tall symbolic gate. Just those for now."

She illusions up a torii gate and a small, basic shrine in the air with a paw-wave. Just big enough for an idol, not even really a room.

"I will attach the images to a stone for reference... I can provide logs if they are a pain to source, raw logs, not prepared timbers."

“Appears simple to build with logs provided. I will bring the event to a four to determine prices and find laborers to allocate. Image attached to a stone?” 

Third eye flickers with interest at the illusion, seems the magic and the process of putting it in a stone is more interesting than the deal. 

Yeah, she's been keeping most of the abilities quiet.

...She adds a generic one eye figure next to the torii gate for a sense of scale.

"A rock. Or a piece of wood. Or anything. Something I can tell it to follow, so you can move it around. Many kitsunes are skilled with images. It will vanish eventually, depending on the energy invested... I only want to make it last as long as it needs to. Magic isn't free."

“Understanding! I can myself pay for the image stone magic.”

The three-eyed elder takes out a wallet and offers a few different types of paper bills with different symbols: sun-disc, dragon, cloud, and seashell.

The one-eyed youth is directed to find a rock, and quickly returns with a smooth stone. 

"I am doing this as an aid to the construction, I will not charge for that. If you wanted some other scene for some other purpose, I would. Oh... I said 'free', didn't I? It costs us energy."

The little illusion floats over to the rock, orients, and- Snap. There it goes. It'll always face upwards, no matter how the rock tumbles. This has always been pretty intuitive to her. She's built elaborate, complicated illusions before- Games and the like, even. She starts juicing it up, and while thinking about it, gives it a toggle (being tapped three times).

"You can tap it three times quickly to disable it and again to resume. This will make it last longer."

"Misunderstanding. Blame placed entirely on translation object not on either you or I." 

Tapping the rock on and off a few times, looking at it closely. Turning it around to see if the illusion turns, that it stays facing upwards. An 'ooh' sound that gets translated to "Excitement, interest."

Ears twitch in amusement; Tail wags.

"I am unusually good at this. I can make them follow complex rules and play games with them."

"Complex rules. Introductions to my apprentice when time allows if you permit. Interested in games and magic objects in obedience of rules. After your project built."

"That could be fun. I'm fetching sisters for the next few days, just wanted to get this started first."

“A few days then. The specifics of project planning are not my role. I am simply the nearby person with translation and negotiation. Moments please.”

There’s a brief trip to the office of some sort of four-eyed accountant/manager/philosopher. The details of how many laborers and how long it will take and how many coins it will take are all sorted out. 

“A deal is achieved.”

Over the next couple hours, laborers and supplies make their way over from the apartment buildings hex to the empty hex. Axes and saws, buckets of paint and of some substance they use to treat wood, and other bits of equipment are all brought across the street by handcart. 

Where is the wood for this project coming from?

She has to cross into the Spirit World for this. Her departure looks less like her vanishing into thin air and more - taking a turn towards a direction that shouldn't exist. There's a brief sense of - being on a precipice, or in unfamiliar lands.

And she's gone. She picks several likely trees and gnaws and claws at them, letting the strength that surges through her form and the magic that she can call forth to her natural weapons do most of the work. She cleans them of most of the branches, snapping them under her teeth and claws. The splinters, urgh... But it's also nice to commit some mindless violence once in a while.

She's not sure these trees are, in any real sense, real, but she's sure they wouldn't mind too much being used for a shrine in any case.

Then, the whole mess is hefted in her maw and tail, and she drops back into reality with it, materializing with a sort thump. A cedar log with one end scarred with claws and bites, several big branches, and a lot of leaves are dropped to the ground.

"I think we need at least three more? Oh, feel free to take whatever scraps and leavings you want- And no need to take things away if you don't want them. I'll burn them all, later."

The workers here are surprised at the sudden disappearance and reappearance, but don't really question it.

They are happy to load any scraps into one of the carts as they finish cleaning and start treating the wood. The leader of this work crew, a one-eyed lumberjack looking type, says that three logs of this size should definitely be enough. 

She fetches three more trees. It takes about an hour and she's a little tired by the end of it. She's been using magic pretty liberally today.

Anything else the work crew needs before she vanishes for a few days to go on a recruitment run?

They have the materials, they have the illusion rock with the plans, everything is ready to go. A few shout something untranslated but is probably a 'safe travels'.

She thanks them warmly and vanishes into the Spirit World one last time.

Yawn.

"Ehm... Right. Oh runes of fate, beads on the weave... I call upon my sight to know what can be- Hey, stop that! I'm ticklish! To know what can be foretold. Let the future reveal what portents may come andthetruthIwillseeeeee-"

Thud.

"No, seriously, stop when I'm prognosticating. Ahem. O runes, what troubles face Weiss Faron when she returns to the place that has been given?"

Violence. Destruction. Innocents, endangered.

That's not great.

She comes out wreathed in as much intimidating aura of illusion and flame she can, waves of radiating darkness and a certain sharpness and heaviness.

The gate and shed were nicely built and then meanly smashed. Bits of carved and painted wood are scattered on the ground. One wall of the temple shed building is intact and has a paper nailed to it.

Three of the archers from the neighboring buildings are pacing the area, looking at the bits of wood and the ground.

She cuts all the Intimidating Aura special effects, including the unsettling infrasound, as soon as it's obvious there's not a fight to be had right now.

Three other foxes appear around her, each of them much smaller. One is white and two are orangey-brown. They look around at the debris, aghast.

Weiss is furious. She shifts humanoid (keeping the tail and ears) and marches up to the paper and snatches it; She can't read it. The others pad over to her, still fox-shaped.

"This is some kind of fucking gang shakedown."

"Obviously, yes." Tessa says, blinking sleep out of her eyes. "You said you thought it was safe."

"I was wrong. Obviously. Without any active defenders, anyway-"

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Weiss?" Megi wraps her tail around herself. "You said they didn't have any preconceptions about us, but if this is what we face anyway..."

"Well, we haven't gotten the full picture yet, or- Talked to the Guard or whatever passes for it. I'm more worried about what they've done to the Eyerarchy's people. They don't deserve any of that, I'm the target. Megi, how are you on energy?"

"I'm good, but you know healing is obscenely expensive, right?"

"Yeah..."

"You're going to insist on doing what you can, aren't you."

"Yeah."

Tessa, the white fox, nuzzles one of her sisters and uses that catalyst to take human form, herself. She slaps her own cheeks a few times.

"Mmm. This is how a lot of early governmental structures worked, I think. Just raw violence as an incentive. We should investigate further before making any hasty decisions."

Blonde, taller and more buxom than Weiss, red eyes.

Tessa takes the paper and gazes around at the archers, who must be reacting by now.

The archers, most impressed by the spooky special effects before they got turned off, are backing away slowly with hands up. Their leader has a translator amulet and says, “Harm is not meant. The ones taken were our people. We are finding.”

"We are helping find." Snarl. "If you want help. It is unacceptable that your people were harmed because of working for us."

"We have a lot of miscellaneous abilities," Tessa says. "I think we should talk to a leader and discuss them and the investigation."

The words are on their side but the tone is threatening. Most of the archers step back again. The leader, out of bravado if nothing else, instead walks closer to talk.

"Blame placed on both of us. Threes and fours negotiated a deal, did not consider possible violence. Eyerarchy familiarity with area placed more blame than newcomers. Due to involved violence of situation, temporarily I am a leader to talk to."

"Weiss, calm the hell down, okay?" She scratches at one of Weiss's ears. "She wants to help. She gets very passionate about injustice, especially if she feels guilty. We'll work with you. Weiss, you're the boss, more or less. What is the ideal end state for you?"

"...All of the Eyerarchy's people are home safe. All the kitsune are safe. We know who did it. We intimidate whoever did it so they won't try again. We think of defenses so it doesn't happen again. We're not in trouble with the city law. We get reparations for the Eyerarchy's pain and suffering and the destruction of the shrine- That was good cedar!- Uhh. And we don't have to do anything really evil, like hurt bystanders. And we don't reveal more of our capabilities than we have to. That's the ideal."

Pause.

"And things the Eyerarchy wants happen too."

”Trouble with the city law not worrying. As the philosopher says, violence is not monopolized it is an open market.”

"I can sure do some violence. If it's justified and, uh, precise."

“I am similar. Precise and very good aim. If we pass through hex protected by great power, I have words of warning of being careful with violence.”

"I have divination magic. I can ask a question about someone willing to touch me and get an answer that is almost always true in three to six words. It can do stuff like 'where is this person's husband' just fine, too. It's best about the near future and current time. I can do it once more right now and I'd need to have a lot of sex or rest a long time or drink and eat a lot of the good stuff or all of the above to keep doing it. Weiss, you're gonna owe me, like, a ton of the good wine if I get hurt, okay? I'm not going to fight. Weiss can be invisible and do crazy complicated illusions. Favorite trick is attaching a cloud of silence and darkness to enemies' heads. She might be low on energy right now and the usual solution for that's not really an option for her."

(Weiss blushes and looks away.)

"Megi and Mati," (she points.) "Probably don't want to fight, but I think Mati would be willing to be a lookout, at least, and Megi can heal people. Slowly."

Mati gives a determined yip.

They nod along and explain their own capabilities in return. Their abilities are mostly ‘two eyes mean depth perception which means accuracy when using projectile weapons’. They’re very proud of this. The captain also has three silver arrows that paralyze whoever is struck with them, bought from the elves. 

“Understanding. We will not presume all are combatant despite correct number of eyes. Noncombatant may hide in our homes if better than exposed in flat ground.”

"Yeah, we probably should hide inside. Thank you. What do you already know about who took your people?"

The captain summarizes the situation:

The Cronash, a people who own both the shiny tower and factory, wanted a mercenary force to protect their holdings. They brought in an outfit called the Brotherhood of the Cold Iron Shell. These mercenaries decided that, while they’re here, all nearby hexes should also be paying them for protection. Anyone who doesn’t pay also gets this kind of treatment. 

The elves in the forest don’t pay tribute because bad things happen to anyone who goes into the forest without permission. The apartment buildings are generally safe because the Cold Iron Shell don’t want to anger the magnate who owns the buildings. It seems that doesn’t apply to Eyerarchy workers on a job site right here. 

The note says that there will be no construction until arrangements for protection money are made. It promises that the captives are uninjured and will be adequately sustained, but not released until ransom is paid.

Weiss says, "The three obvious ideas are to attack the Cold Iron Shell, to sneak invisibly to where they are holding the hostages and take them home through the Spirit World, and to attack the people who are paying the Cold Iron Shell, to force them to act, but that last thing could get... Messy."

The captain adds, “I possess temporary authority for rescuing hostages. A war against the Cronash requires consulting higher orders.”

"I think by far the cleanest and fastest thing would be to rescue the hostages, if that seems likely to work, and then defend our hex going forward. It minimizes risk to the Eyerarchy, which I think is what you want, Weiss? We could also just, just pay them, if they have a reputation for sticking to this kind of deal, and get our bearings for now... It'd sting the pride but pride isn't everything. Anyway. Let's go inside now and discuss the details?"

The Brotherhood of the Cold Iron Shell are professionals, they do return prisoners when paid ransom and actually protect those paying for protection. The trouble is just how they treat anyone they think should be paying them. 

The group can head inside the apartment buildings, and quickly find a family willing to take guests “in the spirit of neighborliness”. A parent shoos a couple kids to play outside for a bit, so the captain and the guests can sit at dinner table and make plans. 

One of the archers has a suggestion, which the captain refuses to say. The two are now arguing over borrowing the translation amulet.

She closes her eyes and meditates for a bit.

How much does she have in her... Not a whole lot, right now.

She confers with her sisters. "D'you think we can find some ice cream? Handmade cake or the like? And then I can hug Megi and Mati for a while. Cuddles and sweets, you know... And then have enough oomph to sneak into the place with a two-eye who can navigate it and talk to people, and then get everyone out through the Woods. I don't think I could go back home from anywhere but our hex, but you know, my woods are pretty centralized on me. Or waiting until tomorrow, so I can dance all night, if the moon here counts- If there is a moon here-"

"The problem with your daring rescue plan is not knowing where they're being held or under what kind of scrutiny or how you're going to get there through however many layers of security. We should be taking notes, honestly. No illusioning them! And I decree that you should be hugging Megi while we talk! You need to be saving your energy. Have you got any paper in your tail?"

(Weiss shakes her head at the paper, and smiles and softly hugs Megi's fox form.)

The younger archer manages to get the translation amulet from the captain, who looks annoyed. 

“Hello. I ask for a decree of pardon if words are inaccurate. Would a feast of celebration be helpful? We possess excellent fruits and the drink of excellent fruits. We also possess… the procedures which the thousand eyed being dares not look upon.”

”I once again ask for a decree of pardon if the amulet incorrectly brought the words or if I engage in misunderstanding of the energy of your magic. I have but two eyes and know not the power of sorcerers.”

"Mmh... Weiss, you really think we should be open, here? Ugh, fine, fine... Talking through this is a little bit difficult, isn't it? Humu... Much like you might have different number of eyes from your fellows, Kitsune have different sets of abilities and traits. I can divinate, the others can't, for example. That one is uncommon. We have a lot of them in common, but not all of them. And yes, there are options to give us more energy, since the journey here was a little bit exhausting. For all of us, resting in quadruped form helps slowly, and the thing I think you're referring to with the 'procedures', if I'm correct in my inference that it is typically between men and women and leads to children - we do not reproduce that way - helps quickly, but it's a bit of a bummer to use that tactically unless you really really have to, we shouldn't plan on that being necessary at the current urgency level. But it's good to examine all the options."

A brief pause for a yawn.

"For Weiss and myself, excellent fruits prepared into sweet treats by those who care a lot about cooking and want to make people happy with them- The caring is the important part, it's emotional- Can help a lot. Weiss and Megi can get more energy from comforting each other like they are right now. Weiss can get more energy overnight, from the moon. Mati can't get extra power from anything but the first two things. I think the two biggest tactical factors are my energy, for divination magic, and Weiss's energy, since she's the one of us willing and able to fight directly. So, a feast... A public feast, I don't think so. Maybe a small private one would end up helpful."

“Understanding. A quest is declared. I will return with sweet fruits prepared with heat and skill and emotion, or I will not return.”

Looking somewhat uncomfortable, that archer gives the translation amulet back to the captain and nearly runs out of the room. 

The captain seems supremely annoyed. Hand to forehead, and a groan that the amulet translates as, “Frustration.”

”The words are theatre. Bringing sweets is not a quest. Disregard. We return to strategy.”

"-Okay, I want to say, I know you might not believe us but that is, in fact, the absolute truth? We're not fucking around- I mean, being silly, here. We're weird, I know. Also, yes, don't go rushing off now probably, strategy before implementation of any 'bright ideas'." She gives an annoyed glance at Tessa.

The captain holds hands up in a gesture of conciliation. “We do not disbelieve. Truly we lack the eye to understand and question matters of energy and powers. The one who did question is fresh and retreated after realization of foolish words.”

"I don't understand-" Tessa starts.

"They're shy, you airhead. Like me."

"Right, and I was circumspect."

"This is a distraction. Forget it! We should write down all the plans we can think of and good and bad things about them, to choose the best one. What ransom are Cold Iron Shell asking for? That's one possible plan. Just pay the protection."

Someone hands the captain a slate and some chalk for writing. “Demand is money, sun disc or dragon. We possess not enough money but possibility of loans.”

They all seem unenthusiastic about this possibility, but would accept it.

"I don't have understanding of how much that is. I would provide more gold if we decide just paying is best. I would consider myself in debt to you to an extent if we do that plan. Second idea, find where they are holding your people and use my invisible power and Spirit World power to sneak in with you, Captain, or someone you send, and take them home. Once we get to the captives, if they agree to join me after someone explains, I can take them all into the Spirit World, and then we can all leave the Spirit World at home. I can extend invisibility to at least one other person. I think I can do this, especially if it is tomorrow, not right now. Risks... If I run out of energy to be invisible and get caught. If we don't know where captives are, or captives get moved before we get there, or they are being watched and we are attacked while rescuing. Also, whatever the Cold Iron Shell decides to do after their leverage goes missing."

Mati, still in fox form, suggests, "Leave them a package in an important guy's office that says 'this could have been a bomb, don't mess with kitsunes'."

"That seems... Escalatory. I mean, I understand the impulse, Mati, but... Yeah."

The captain suggests that the most likely place to find the captives is somewhere in the factory, since the Cold Iron Shell is based somewhere in that building. It’s possible they have somewhere else to stash prisoners, but unlikely. 

“If invisibility is gone, we will require violence. Two against many to leave the building. Unlikely to succeed. I am willing if you are willing.”

They discuss the idea for a package amongst each other, and one suggests, “Package that says this could have been a bomb. Demand for negotiation is alternative to demand for backing away.”

"I would be willing. I would want to practice moving and fighting together first. And create codes or signals for clear, fast communication."

"I don't understand your idea for the package's message. It did not come through translation clearly."

”Understanding. When strategy is done, the day has time to drill.”

After a few tries and trying to cajole the amulet into cooperating, they can get their idea for the note across: ‘we could have snuck a weapon into your base, don’t mess with us’ should scare them but might provoke a reprisal. They suggest ‘we could have snuck a weapon into your base, here’s a time and place to meet and discuss terms’ still scares them but gives them a way out. 

"I agree, your version of the message is better. Negotiation should establish peace. We should discuss other ideas than invisibility rescue as well, in case there is something brilliant that will work better, or good ideas happen while thinking about it. Intimidation? Weiss can look reaaaaally scary when she wants to! You saw it earlier!"

Tessa gives Weiss a one-armed hug and another affectionate ear-scratch at this.

Several nods, they all saw when Weiss appeared from the spirit world ready for a fight. Scary indeed.

“The enemy possesses bravery from armor. Arrows rarely destroy armor so they possess bravery against arrows. They do not possess bravery against the forest of the elves.”

"The unknown is scary. Could the elves be paid to help? Could we pretend to have elves helping?"

“Pretending is more possible. Those elves are difficult. Even when trading refuse the use of the amulet in either direction. Impossible to plan battle without use of language.”

"Okay, what happens if we show up, like, raaaa, we're mad and magical and scary, give us those people back you have one day?"

There’s some discussion, the archers all disagree on what would happen. Maybe they fold and give them back. Maybe there’s a fight then and there. If they’re smart, they use the one day to gather all their forces and get ready. Captain thinks the third would be the worst, and that it might be a good idea to cause the second. “If we possess provocation, bring them out of the lair with words. Achieve violence before they plan and gather.”

"That kind of big ambush would be something to prevent reprisals later. Like, in a month they start fucking with us again, or they refuse to leave us alone to build off just some sneaking. But provoking them and then 'achieving violence' in a dramatic, decisive way would be a much stronger message, yes." 

”Understanding! A lesson of who can be interfered with! Break hold, no one paying protection.”

”Temporary leadership for possession of hostages. Temporary.”

”A decision of what approach to take for possession. It is within temporary leadership.”

”Careful.”

"...I'd check in with your boss before expanding the mission objectives from 'rescue hostages' to 'break free of protection deal', if I were you. But, like, I'm not you, so..."

The captain gives a thankful look. “We will write down this plan. If it is best we will ask permission. Another plan. Ambush a patrol, possession of hostages. Store in your spirit world. Trade deal.”

"They have to be willing. Guests. It's symbolic."

“Understanding. Discard plan. You possess other ideas?”

"Not a whole new plan idea but we should consider the best use of my divination. Do we know what weapons and armor they use, do we know where their base is, where exactly in it the hostages are... What question, if answered, makes things the most easier?"

“Location of hostages. We likely know which hex possesses their base. Weapons and armor seen while patrolling. Sure location of hostages is of importance.

"I feel like we should get the hostages first, and then try provoking if that goes smoothly if we're going to try provocation at all. And we should only divinate for them right before we go."

“Understanding. Current plan. Tomorrow we attempt possession of hostages by divination then invisibility?”

"That is accurate to current plan. And today we spend some time drilling. -Do you have horses around here?"

“Our people do not possess horses. We once possessed a deal with their people, but our end failed. Now we walk and use carts.”

"Horses are people? I meant the ... Nonperson animals." She shakes her head. "I am fast and strong in fox form. For an important mission, if it makes sense to do so, I would be willing to wear a saddle and carry someone. I fight best in fox form anyway."

“Many worlds with nonperson horses truly have person horses but no sorcery for horse translation. Even with exceptions person horses object. Don’t want peoples to get used to no person treatment. Or—“

The translation amulet hums as it struggles with a concept. “pan-humanity of sapient life ideology reasons.”

”If you assent to carrying we accept. With respect and in events of truly necessary.”

"...Yes, events of truly necessary. This also should be drilled." She chuckles, slightly, then lets out a sigh. "Anything else to talk about now?"

The fox that Weiss was hugging and petting a moment ago is now another attractive woman, wearing a fair bit of jewelry that looks ceremonial in nature.

"Is anyone badly injured, especially in a way where they might die?"

They try not to look surprised even though it is unexpected transformation. It’d be a bad look, especially right after making a point about how you can’t think a people is an animal just because it looks like one. 

No one is injured right now, that part will probably come after the fight, if there is one. The ransom note promised that even the hostages are uninjured; they almost definitely surrendered when threatened instead of fighting. 

Looks like nothing else to talk about. Captain wants to talk with his fighters briefly, will meet outside when ready for training. 

"This stinks. I'm sorry, guys, I thought everything would be fine and fun and we wouldn't have to hide at all."

    "We still don't have to hide," Megi consoles her. "We just have to deal with some bullies. And I'm glad you're doing the right thing here."

        Tessa groans and rubs her eyes. "I came with because you promised me a city that'd let us keep our ears and tails out. If problems keep appearing, I'll bail. I don't want to die. They probably have a pretty good library around here, though..."

    Megi bows and formally thanks the people whose home they've just borrowed. They can't understand it, but she tries to convey the right feeling anyway before they all leave.

Weiss goes outside after a few minutes.

They family returns some sort of salute. 

Outside the building, things look calm. There’s less activity in the market area, though there’s a few carts where merchants sell food or tools. Children sit under a tree having a hushed discussion. The crate where someone stands giving a speech now has a new orator, a figure in a colorful helmet gesturing wildly and being ignored by everyone. An elder has set up a chair outside and is drawing something in a notebook.

A few moments later, the captain and his archers leave the building. They mark a grassy area between two buildings with red string, which everyone else takes as a warning to give the area a wide berth. 

The captain has the other archers do some basic exercises while he steps aside to figure out everything they need to cover in training today: signals that can be used despite the language barrier, generally fighting alongside each other, and perhaps being carried. 

Weiss is utterly serious about this; They should practice as much as they need to with her in human form, and then she will change, and they practice in fox form. It's costly to change willy-nilly.

The other kitsunes stick close, for a little bit, but quickly seem to grow bored or anxious. Megi puts on a Shadow Play show for whoever wants to watch. Mati wanders the market, underfoot as a little fox. Tessa tries to bug someone to teach her the Eyerarchy's language and writing system.

Megi gets an audience for the shadow play, mostly the young or old, who aren’t out working. A young adult with colorful piercings and jewelry, this one with three eyes, watches diligently and writes in a notebook. Mati is occasionally shooed away, though often an apology follows once someone explains these foxes are guests. Tessa is eventually directed to a room where a creaky and old teacher with four eyes explains language to a variety of small children. (A notable language fact picked up from the lesson: the expression that the amulet translates to ‘understanding’ is actually more like ‘I see’ and is one of the most basic and versatile phrases in Eyerarchy language.)

The captain and his squad of archers get serious as well. There’s some scowls at anyone leaving early, but they get that Weiss is the main fighter anyway. Their main battle tactic is staying out of reach and harassing slower moving enemies with arrows. This actually works really well with an enemy distracted by magic and/or a menacing large fox. Soon enough, they are used to working together and have drilled a few gestures and shouts until everyone understands. Eventually, they finish everything except ‘archer being carried by giant fox’ tactics.

She turns to her other form again when they seem to reach a stopping point in the drills, and with only moderate fussing they can work out an illusion-based saddle real enough to be helpful to hold on to. She's not entirely sure how saddles work, but being able to adjust it at a whim is helpful, and spending the energy on it instead of trying to make a physical object seems fine since it's a special circumstance.

This form is still smaller than a warhorse, per se. It's more like a small pony, the kind of thing you wouldn't expect to ride into a fight. But the thing is, she's very strong, and doesn't seem particularly hindered by however many pounds of rider except by the slightly strange weight distribution. It's more a problem of jostling her rider to pieces. She has to use a different gait and avoid sudden pivots. Also, she is very fast. Especially in a straight line, once gotten up to speed. She could almost keep up with that silver autocar.

...She just knows she's going to have to endure all sorts of bawdy jokes about strangers riding her from her sisters when this is all over, but they know not to do that quite yet, thankfully.

Riders these people are not. Only the captain can consistently stay steady and unjostled, best everyone else can manage is mostly not falling— even with Weiss being careful. Seems like this is a tactic to be used for retreats and repositioning, mostly. A couple refuse to even try, awed by the speed and ease of carrying but also afraid.

The captain, though, can manage holding on with one hand and wielding an emergency-backup-melee weapon with the other hand. This gets cheers from the rest. 

He can't manage mounted archery? She shares an illusion half-remembered from a history book, two worlds away: Long-bearded Mongol archers on horseback, raining arrows on the poor bloody infantry, then wheeling around when pursued and doing it again, and again.

Probably they had special saddles, or special bows... She can't remember how those worked, if so.

Whoa. “Temporary-War-Leader-For-Life conquering in-chariot-of-steel!” The archers all cheer and applaud at the sight. 

Mounted archery does require specialized equipment and also more than an afternoon of training. They are very determined, after seeing the illusion, but they have never ridden before, except that one guy who has a bicycle. Not members of a nomadic people ‘born in the saddle’. 

Oh well. It was just an idea, and she probably isn't going to do this on a regular basis. Events of truly necessary.

They are very disappointed and also would like to buy illusion rocks with that scene of the army of horse archers. 

"Later. When my energy is not so limited. You'll need other Kitsunes to keep them from dying... Or someone else who can charge up other people's magic things?"

The individual most excited about the horse archers: “Understanding. Most magic items require possession of individual of correct magic type to recharge. Entertaining and educational for time.”

The captain wrests back control of the shared translation amulet and control of the discussion. It’s getting late, people are getting distracted, and he needs to run everyone through the gestures and signals one more time to make sure they’re all memorized. 

The kitsunes reconvene in front of one of the apartment buildings and chat about what they've found. Tessa is showing her customary genius in learning the Eyerarchy's language, Megi has spent the afternoon helping with light chores and playing with children, and Mati is...

...Where is Mati? Has anyone seen her?

Oh, there she is. Apparently Mati has helped deal with a mouse problem somewhere. She seems smug about this. It's certainly a fox-ish way to spend a day.

Most everyone has gone inside for dinner, leaving the foxes to talk. But they are interrupted.

The archer who left during the strategy meeting finally returns, looking disheveled but carrying a basket of triangular fruit-filled pastries. Rushing up, the basket is handed over.

"Oooooh you actually did it!" Tessa bounces up with uncharacteristic energy. "Oh that smells delicious! You didn't have to, you know!"

She spreads her arms wide as if for a hug and gives a beaming smile.

“I declared it a quest, of course I did it!”

A smile and a hug in return. 

“Should’ve done it, for tactical reasons but also— wait how are we talking to each other?”

Hug yay! Careful not to spill the pastries!

"I see new knowledge very fast. I think it is magic. Magic that I am, not magic that I do."

“I see!” In the tone where that means ‘that’s cool; you’re cool’. 

Stepping back and handing over the pastries. “I should run off before the captain finds me and gets on my case for missing the whole practice.”

"I see." Sympathetic, commiserating. A pat on the shoulder and a firm nod. She didn't get all of that sentence, but the gist makes sense. "I like this gift. I gift you some time. Go."

Running off to a nearby building, still grinning. 

day/night cycle progresses as is standard 

The archers have assembled. Various other members of the Eyerarchy are outside to wish them well in recovering lost friends and family members. 

Captain greets the kitsunes with something halfway between a wave and a salute. “Morning. First the divinations?”

Weiss spends most of the night dancing under the moonlight- And there is a moon in their hex, which is good, though she doesn't have time to mess with it too much today.

A slow, naked dance under the moonlight... With an illusory screen reaching over her spot like a dome in the direction of the skyscraper. She's earning far more energy from this than she's spending, and it always tastes so reassuring... Cool, patient, and clean, more like cuddles than sweets or food or - the other thing - but not quite like any of them. It's calming.

She's ready. The other kitsunes aren't going to fight, except Mati, who's willing to watch out and bark loudly if enemies approach, at least.

She has to touch the Captain (a duty to rescue is enough connection) or someone who knows them.

"Oh runes of fate, beads on the weave... I call upon my sight to know what can be foretold. Let the future reveal what portents may come, and the truth I will see. O runes, where in the factory hex are those who we seek to rescue?"

Power’s fort. Holding cells. Two gates.

"...So, this is a pretty clear one. They can get weird but this is clear. My reading is 'Power’s fort. Holding cells. Two gates.' Presuming they have an obvious base of operations, that would be the fort. There are holding cells inside it, and in those cells are our hostages. There are two entrances to the fort. I could proooobably manage another one if we want to know more about the entrances, or the cells particularly. I don't have a full tactical picture there, though, but I'm sorta leaning on reserving it for the possible reprisal."

Captain nods. “Understanding. Fortress equivalent to factory. Possess knowledge of only one entrance. Capable of finding second entrance. Reserve the second information.”

"'Kay. Weiss, did you ever get that trick you were thinking of for distant communication through illusions working? So you can ask me while you're in there?"

Headshake-headshake.

(The cost of single illusions that technically span hundreds or thousands of feet quickly grows unsustainable.)

There’s some discussion of a three-eyed sorcerer with a communication spell, but the consensus is that bringing a noncombatant along would be more trouble than benefit. They would rather keep a small group; send Weiss and the captain invisibly into the factory, with the rest of the archers hanging around nearby for when reinforcements are needed.

She works up the saddle, and pulls up her invisibility with a slight twist so that they can still see and hear each other, and makes sure the Captain has the package they'll be leaving as a message, and then is off into the factory hex at the run.

The factory building is itself hexagon shaped, built of grey bricks. The main entrance is a large loading bay, bustling with activity. Some sort of giant in a bright neon vest, is unloading crates from a heavy wagon and handing them to more standard-sized workers to bring into the building. 

There is a smaller side entrance, an unmarked door. 

The main entrance is guarded by six armored figures. Most are humanoid but some have a couple extra hindlimbs. They all wear full plate armor that completely covers their bodies, and have a variety of weapons; swords and maces and crossbows. 

Do they have any magic on them, inquiring fox eyes wish to know?

Several have magic incorporated in their armor, shimmery little bits of enchantment. Never the entire set; each individual set is a patchwork of armor pieces in different styles, and some pieces are enchanted.

...Yeah, she's not afraid of these soldiers.

Still, a fight avoided is a fight won, and invisibility is very powerful. So long as she doesn't accidentally brush against someone or cause an inopportune breeze... 

"I'm not afraid of these guys. Little bit of magic in the armor, but no magic weapons. Side door likely watched from inside. Plan: Sneak in main door with invisibility and illusion covering the door motion. Look for fort entrance from inside factory, might be unwatched. Agreement?"

“Understanding!”

Getting inside is easy enough, with illusions to hide any movement. The inside of the factory is loud, hot, and bustling with activity. There are different sections where people work on making metal hand tools and housewares. A man with gazelle-like horns and ostentatious jewelry watches from a walkway overhead, occasionally shouting directions. Four more of the same armored guards wander around, looking over workers’ shoulders. 

Ugh. They're probably being paid little or nothing. Owe your soul to the company store...

Don't borrow more trouble already. You knew cities were like this in some places. And the Eyerarchy's doing okay, it looked like.

Sneak sneak around the side... She can feel people behind doors and corners and carefully avoid them as she makes her way towards where the Cold Iron Shell base ought to be.

The metal door that leads into the ‘security annex’ is defended by the most basic obstacle in many an infiltration: a warning sign and a lock.

Right. Cities have locks. The last time she was locked up in a jail she didn't pick the lock; She went straight into the Woods and emerged at her 'home', her favorite wild place with the nice friendly village nearby. Well, she could just smash the door... That's... An option here...

Has she ever picked a lock before...? If she has, it's not coming to her mind. There was that thing with the slaver's treasure chest, but she burnt the whole box. There was that noble guy who was raping a village girl, but she just went through the window. Brute force and showmanship, with no thought to secrecy. There was that time she spied on a village headman to see if he was involved with the bandits but she just listened through a wall.

Much like her distaste for sex that some of her sisters find so boring and lame, she doesn't have much taste for sneakthieving either. Not the thieving part, at least. ...She's not a very good kitsune, is she?

"...I'm an idiot. Of course there is a lock. Try to pick it? Don't have tools or know how. Try to locate and steal a key? Time consuming and might be noticed. Break straight through? I can do it easily. And mostly hide it. But it is less mysterious."

The captain’s translation amulet doesn’t really have a way to control volume. Troublesome when doing stealth missions without a shared language. Improvised solution the captain came up with this morning, wrap the amulet in wool scarves to muffle the sound. 

“How much time does invisibility possess? Wait until enemy enter, follow?”

She's wrapping them in a bubble of silence, it's not a problem, did she forget to explain that?

Not the time. She feels around her magic and makes as best a guess as she can...

"...Up to three hours before risking being unable to enter the Woods with many guests. Cell door and enemy captain's door will also be locked."

“Understanding. Force then.”

Tone of voice sounds a bit nervous about being surrounded and in enemy territory, but dealing with it by staying very focused.

She raises one single claw on her left forepaw. It glows pale white.

She scrapes it deep into the metal of the door and frame, where she sees a bolt, and patiently saws back and forth. Muffling the two of them and the door while also maintaining the claw takes almost all of her focus.

Captain invisibly keeps watch as the door is dealt with. 

The hinge is sawed in twain and the door rendered openable!

Beyond the door, a hallway with doors to several rooms. These doors have small windows, so it’s easy to tell where they lead: A barracks for sleeping, armory with equipment and spare weapons, office, recreation room, and holding cells. The door to the holding cells is already open. 

The hostages, a small group of one-eyed Eyerarchy workers, are instead in the recreation room. They sit around a table with three of the armored guards, all playing some kind of complicated dice game. 

She is genuinely surprised? Well. Guards must get bored, too.

...She does her best to join the bolt back up properly with an interstitial illusion, once they're behind this door. It should work where a key wouldn't, because people will be interacting with it. She gives it a good chunk of oomph; It'll last a few days, at least, and hopefully remain Mysterious for at least that long.

"So they are well treated... Wait now? I can't fake them continuing to play without knowing them. And the game."

Frustrated muttering about weak wills and fraternizing with captors. But waiting is fine.

Eventually the dice game ends in an argument over rules technicalities, and the prisoners are sent back to the holding cell.

She takes herself and Mr. Captain to the cell to wait; If she stays in a corner and listens for anyone approaching she can drop the invisibility and save energy. Definitely invisible for the re-locking-up process, though.

And then she does her best to muffle the general area against the inevitable shouts of surprise and nudges the Captain forward and drops him from her invisibility.

The inevitable shouts of surprise do follow the sudden appearance. The captain snaps at them to be quiet and then explains in a hushed tone that they’re being rescued by the same powerful fox they were hired by. 

(Yes hi, visible now.)

0.0

wait that’s inaccurate to these guys specifically 

0

Hi!! Very appreciative of mysteriously appearing fox protector but also confused as to what this rescue entails. Captain tries to explain it but he doesn’t seem to get it either and, out of mistranslation and confusion, seems to think the next step involves being turned into ghosts?

"I will invite you all to... My secret hex. It is a little ghost-like but not very much. You won't be hurt. You might feel strange. Then when we leave my secret hex, we will step out onto the Kitsunes' hex, not this cell. All you need to do is be willing. We'll leave the package here, Captain."

Sheesh, the odd patterns of the translation amulet are starting to infect her speech.

Okay, nearly every people has some folklore explaining why it’s a bad idea to do that exact thing. But they trust the captain and by extension their new fox benefactor. Into the secret ghostlike forest!

Package dropped off, ready to go. 

It's like blinking and suddenly realizing you're somewhere else, like suddenly wondering why you went to the kitchen.

This is a forest. Warm wind gently blows through the trees. Soft golden light seems to spill forth and diffuse through everything, like pooling water. Cedar trees, tall and proud, contrast with fallen logs and low brush. There are rabbits and berry bushes and songbirds off in the distance. Everything looks almost - mutable, almost seeming to promise that there could be something different, if only you look at it the right way.

Their fox benefactor looks different, too. Smaller, a bit scruffy even. Covered in dirt and small plants. She looks... Tired.

They feel different here, too. Any lingering aches and pains are gone. They each look a bit more like their own self-perceptions, rather than what they ordinarily do.

"Home..." Weiss says, and walks down a trail that is obvious once you're looking for it.

It's a short journey. Only a couple of minutes. There's a red gate like the one they had been asked to build at the end, standing tall and proud.

"Through here," she says, and passes under it, seeming to turn a corner into nowhere and vanish.

Even with the vague cultural background knowledge that following nice spirits into otherworldly forests is a bad idea, they can't help but look around with wonder at the beauty of the place and of feling more like... themselves. The head of the work crew is too practical for that and instead notes which trees are of the best kind for building. 

Looking closer to their own self-perceptions is somewhat disconcerting, the ways of the Eyerarchy generally frown on that kind of thing. Most just look a bit younger or a bit older, which is safe. A few have slightly different clothes, even a flicker of a tattoo on the forehead of another eye or something. A few individuals even have features borrowed from other peoples. Good news is, no one knows it's a self perception thing, so this can just be passed off as otherworldly forest illusions of no importance.

The Captain is the only one who doesn't look at all different while in the forest. 

Some of the guests are eager to get out of the forest, others linger a few moments before leaving.

The all find themselves standing before the smashed husk of the red gate in their neighboring hex.

Weiss sighs wistfully. "All are safe. Now the waiting."

Joyful reunions with friends and family across the street in the apartment buildings! 

Head of the work crew stays behind to look sadly at the broken gate, promising to get a crew together and rebuild it as soon as protection is arranged.

Kitsunes follow towards the party... Mostly. Megi seems to enjoy the festive atmosphere, especially. 

"I can't be a guard forever. There are only so many Kitsune, and so many who'd want to come here. This whole situation has left a bad taste in my mouth."

The party the Kitsune are heading for has not yet materialized, but there are rumors of a victory celebration. The ‘master of ceremonies’ is meeting the ‘community quartermaster’ which usually means the two are discussing whether the stores have enough supplies for a proper feast. The family living next to the designated important meeting room can hear the conversation through the walls, and says the odds are looking good. Some laborers have taken the initiative and started setting up chairs and tables and decorative lanterns.

Tessa is looking for some alcohol. It's been nearly two days without any. Also maybe for the Bringer of Baked Goods to ask if bugging Weiss to make a horse archer scene would be nice?

Megi is discussing recipes and badgers Weiss for her spice jars! She knows you have some, Weiss. Hand over the chili powder!

Mati is playing with little kids!

She hands over her glass jar of chili powder. She - perches somewhere out of the way, and tries to keep her head from swirling and swimming and just enjoy the moment.

The people you got captured are rescued! All is well! Let more borrowed trouble come tomorrow.

...The melancholy won't go away that easily. But she can distract herself from it. She'll look for that guy who wanted to discuss conditional illusions with her and his apprentice, how about.

Alcohol: imminent but not yet. There’s a storeroom full of bottles and kegs, but it’s locked and they’re not opening it until the victory party is officially declared. Seems the tradition here is to keep all alcoholic drinks in the communal store and limit who can distribute from that store, ‘so things don’t get chaotic’.

Mati can easily find a group of kids engaged in some sort of game based on chasing each other and occasionally all climbing a tree, counting to twenty, and then climbing back down and resuming the chaser. 

For those seeking specific individuals, a few of them suddenly developed faces differentiated from the general crowd!

The bringer of baked goods, delighted to be known as the bringer of baked goods!
“The horse archer scene would be amazing if you could get it. Everyone’s talking about how legendary they were. I missed it because I ran off to get those baked triangles, worth it!”

The elder is still sitting on a chair set up outside, holding a ripped jacket. With a look of concentration and a wave of the hand, the garment mends. 

A young apprentice sits attentively and watches the magic being done.

"She brought me here, so I see that I'm owed some pay. I'll probably ask her tomorrow when she's not so - sad. Mrr! Weiss, you gained victory. You got what we wanted, nobody got hurt."

“Sounds kinda like the captain, grumpy even when we’re having festivals. We should cheer her up somehow! Would finding more baked triangles do it?”

"Maybe? I think mostly she is-" She casts about for words. "...Oh no! This is my bad! People are fighting! The city is bad for kitsunes and kitsunes are bad for the eyerarchy! I need to be sad. -I think the party will help. I think hugs will help."

“But… we’re the greatest city, even with the Problems! The fighting isn’t even anyone’s fault, it’s just how it is. Really hope the party helps, because that’s serious.”

"She likes only fighting things that aren't people. Or are people that only want to kill and hurt. It's kind of lazy. Avoid hard decisions. Most people here aren't that simple, though. Maybe we can show her some great things about the city? I don't think she's gone more than one hex away."

“I see.” 

“Day passes for the underground movement tunnels are cheap. With a day off, visit the best places. Sky Bazaar! Disorienting Light and Noise! Horses! Great Library! Designated Monument Zone! House of Victory… though she might not like that one if she doesn’t like fighting people.”

"I don't see some of those. I want to see the great library. She might like to meet horses or see the monument zone. She might like fighting if it's only hurt and not kill and... Ehm... Respect? Weiss is frustration sometimes. I think she should be less shy, but I am me and she is she." Shrug.

Shrug. “Such is being friends with different types. Maybe get a whole expedition that can split into smaller groups to see different things!”

"Predict Weiss will want to go alone instead. Predict Weiss will want to stay here and be sad about things instead." She grumbles.

...She has an urge she really shouldn't indulge. These guys seem shy and he didn't appreciate the topic coming up last time.

"...How many golden suns for a day of seeing the city? How many golden suns is a golden circle this big?" She mimes a coin.

“Usually best to travel in numbers. If it was my friend, we would ignore wanting to stay inside to be sad and drag along anyway. Doing something makes it easy get distracted from anger and wanting to be sad. I don’t know your friends though, if that would work.”

”…Unknown. I can read numbers and know how many to give for buying small things, not enough eyes to convert metal sun dollars.”

"I will ask someone else. We should drag her, yes. Megi will help. Maybe day after tomorrow."

“I see!” (tone: yes let’s do it)

We interrupt any conversations, it is time announce the start of festivities with a loud bell. 

The Master of Ceremonies, a figure wearing a feathery costume and mask, announces the official start of a victory celebration. All the lanterns are lit at once. Several blessing are invoked. First the thousand eyed being, then the lady victory, then the maiden of fruit and grain. 

“Additional thanks regarding victory for 2 Captain Be and Kitsune Weiss! Individuals cause of our fellows returned home and of this victory celebration! Drink and feast in honored names!”

With that, tables of food are unveiled and cups are passed out. The dishes are mostly breads and vegetables coated in honey, all brightly colored. Everyone wanders from table to table, trying the different foods and having excited conversations.

Booze!

Would it be fun to put on a show of sneaking around the factory, set to the Mission Impossible theme? Yes. It would also reveal the trick, so she doesn't.

Weiss piles a plate high with one of everything, instead. It's a great chance to learn about new cuisines! Maybe whatever Megi did with the chili powder will be around somewhere, too.

Booze! Revelry! Music!

Chili powder improved dishes are certainly present. The archers and some of the tougher looking manual laborers are, of course, using it as some kind of test of endurance. The more sophisticated types are instead savoring the meal and snobbishly commenting on the ‘competition’.

The elder enjoying the festivities, but at a distance. Still sitting in that chair. 

The apprentice is making trips to the tables and bringing back food. At some point, will swing by to greet Weiss. 

A quieter part of the party sounds good actually. She's just glad not too many people are congratulating her.

She goes over to 3 mender mi and sits and eats for a bit, before saying, "You were interested in illusions?"

The elder nods, enjoying quieter company. Translation amulet to the apprentice.

“Yes! Possess questions. Pursuit of all knowledge of magics is my task.”

"Ah."

Magic briefly flows into her eyes as she peers at the scene with Arcane Sight.

"Well, I could use a distraction from useless thoughts. Ask away?"

“Complication of rules? Length of memories? effects of types of rock?”

"Approximately 'yes'- I can build them up a bit at a time.... As long as I can clearly focus, visualize, and push out the scene- I think the magic also boosts my visualization, I definitely don't remember being this good at it. No effect, it's just convenient to have physical objects for the magic to refer to, like switches... Or... Logic gates... HOLY FUCK I CAN BUILD A COMPUTER!"

Starry eyes. “Yes. Translation artifact has insufficient eyes to send words clearly. I think your words are the ones I think. Permit me to help please.”

"Paper, I need- The hell am I talking about I don't need paper-"

Ugh. The memories are so fuzzy. It was ones and zeros, she thinks, and there were gates. And gates, and or gates, and those combined into... Memory, and hard drives?

"I'm going to need lots of people's help to make this make sense..."

Does she need to start from binary? She knows her illusion-stacks can stay put for a long time if they're 'turned off', but... Boxes in the air that say 'and' and 'or' and 'not' in them, cycling through the four possible values and lighting up or dimming...

"I don't remember the details at all, but from very simple rules like 'this and this' or 'this or this' or 'not this', I knew a people once who made ridiculous, incredible things..."

“Paper.” A small notebook taken from a pocket somewhere. “No paper?”

”Books mentioning such things. Books possessed by the great library. Artifacts obedient to set rules. I quest to put a story in one.”

"Like a game, yes! I want to see the library when things are a little calmer here!"

“I see… Is your illusion magic of learning. Or magic of being?”

"Uh- I'm pretty sure you have to be a kitsune to do it. And most kitsunes aren't nearly as good at it as me. Sorry."

“Understanding…”

”I will still gain possession of books and other helpfulness.”

She is futzing with gates and shapes in the air, trying and failing to remember how adding two binary numbers works. No... That's obviously wrong... What if she snaps them together like this...?

"This is an exciting thing that I forgot existed! Thank you!"

“Mh. Exciting. Avoid distraction of mending studies.”

Hm? Words? No. There is only logic gates.

She noms a thing distractedly, then blinks at how tasty it is, and suspends her work.

"...Right, an apprentice's day job is learning. This would be... A hobby, I guess? I'm still excited, of course."

“Great work is learning!”

“Honor to name of our people, learn and work magic of your people. But the word you say. Hobby.”

"I don't understand? It's good, but still a hobby compared to learning mending?"

Shrug. “People require possession of mender. I plan to dissipate into great beyond. Before occurrence, te must learn to mend. Otherwise community mend all object by hand.”

...Ah. Right. Old non-kitsunes die... Don't think about it too hard. This is a party. Sheesh.

"Very practical. My friend Sinnah would like it. She calls herself a magic stamp. She makes magic trapped in paper and ink all day, and sells it. 'If people didn't need scrolls I couldn't sell them', she would say."

“Ink and paper. Hm. Honor in the art of calligraphy magic.”

There’s a commotion happening closer to the center of the party. Some newcomer has crashed the party and is distributing her own drinks— the good stuff. To the consternation of the master of ceremonies and the celebration of everyone else.

Tessa heard 'the good stuff' and was right there as soon as she could be!

Typical wood elf type in deerskin garb, pouring from a bottle into tiny glasses. “The good stuff! Anyone asks, you didn’t get it from me!”

She isn’t speaking the Eyelanguage or any other previously encountered language. It’s the Queen’s English, or something like it.

She is grinning. This is ancient Tirran! Or something like it. 

"How good are we talking on a scale of 'it'll burn if you take a match to it' to 'prepare to see the Light Gods'?"

“I’d say it’s a… made by the thing we have instead of ghosts, and we’re not supposed to share with outsiders because the first time we did some king started a war just to taste it again.”

Human kings don't really need that much excuse.

"Oh, stars and spirits, I really shouldn't but I absolutely will." Here is a small cup. "We don't linger in the Spirit World, we reincarnate... Eventually. I'm used to there being, like, ten? Kinds of people, not ten thousand. Really got to go see that library soon."

“Ten peoples, oh so parochial. But you’re in the city now, newbie. Cheers!”

Pour some into the cup, and then raise her own. 

"Cheers!"

This is going to hit like a truck, she knows it. She's had magical alcohol before, witches make it, sometimes. It might or might not be less potent than this stuff. Either way: The trick is to take a deep breath and go slooooooowly.

The zen of gluttony: Enjoy it while it lasts!

It’s strong, first of all. The sort of thing that ‘ordinary mortals’ should only drink a small cup of and call it a night. Burns, but there’s also a slight peppercorn flavor. In addition to the normal effects of making the drinker somewhat drunker, it has a couple magical effects. First, confidence and grace in movement; where some spirits make one stumble, this one imbues every step and gesture with poise. Second, time feels a bit different, like the opposite of a busy day when time flies. 

Via finishes her own glass and makes it vanish in a stagemagicianlike manner. ”Now why don’t you introduce yourself, less you’re the type to guard your name.”

She wants to dance like this. It's very nice.

"Good stuff. Really good stuff. Hmm? Truly potent name magic would be scuffed, everyone knows each others' names already. If that's what you're implying, you can't scare me that easy. Mine is Tessa, a kitsune, of a world we hadn't really bothered to name. How about you? You from that forest over yonder?"

“I go by Via around here, of those woods. You never know, maybe I am one of those elves who steals your name and sells your identity to the mimics.”

"It'd be an interesting experience in a very gruesome sort of way. I'm not that much of a masochist, though, so I'll decline. This drink seems most excellent for dancing, you know..."

“Oh I know. They say it makes it too easy, but I don’t mind that.”

She turns her head to give a look to the trio of Eyerarchy musicians.

The three eyed musicians, with their bells and handheld drums, snap to attention and switch from ‘vaguely festive ambiance’ to ‘fast paced dance music’. 

"What a curious shorthand translation of 'please play something faster'."

She shoots an apologetic glance to the musicians.

She extends her hand and steps into some sort of ready pose, one foot slightly behind the other. "Let's figure out how to move together, hm~?"

“Let’s.”

She mirrors the ready pose, and then— movement.

She’s excited, curious, and really enjoying the grace from the magic drinks. Very quickly, she starts throwing some complicated and fast  zigzag maneuvers into the dance. The first part of ‘figure out how to move together’ as Via sees it, is ‘can you keep up?’.

Tessa has never been a physical prodigy but she is paying a lot of her considerable brainpower to reading her partner and keeping up. Mirroring one for one, at least, is pretty doable.

The lack of physical prodigy is a bit disappointing, but keeping up is keeping up. After a few rounds, Via relaxes and gets a bit less intense, so Tessa has a chance to do her own thing instead of just mirroring.  

Her first escalatory move would be 'accidental' brushes of her tail during spins and the like. And using her newfound observations of Via's dance patterns to try to pick moves calculated to be unexpected and trip her up.

Oh? Oh it’s on. Easily and gracefully recover after the first two gambits, just so it’s very obvious that she can. Then she’ll ‘accidentally’ trip while trying to match an unexpected move, and almost fall in an extremely catchable way. 

Tessa catches! And leans down slightly, lips parted... Then props Via back up with a spin and a gentle light slap.

She immediately turns the spin into a move and is back to the dance as if nothing happened. Pose and and expression are still poised, but she’s blushing entirely unsubtly. 

Heeeee cute. She grins again.

And if Tessa pulls the same near-fall maneuver?~

Via catches! Catches with a fairly tight grip, and digging the fingernails in just a bit. Lingering like that for a moment, keeping eye contact. 

"My savior from a most undignified fall~"

“Don’t thank me too early~” 

Via lets go for just a moment, enough to feel the fall, before grabbing her hand and pulling her back up. Back up and back to the dance.

This kind of flirting is fun. The little hint of danger, the cute pushing towards the edge. If things ever get too serious she can always just leave, and once in a while the edge-chasing like this will actually bite (that's what makes it thrilling), but anyway, things that push the edge are a rare treat.

She flirts as they keep dancing, gently probing for information about the elves of the woods, and revealing tidbits of kitsune culture and ability too- Showing off shadow play, lamenting that there's no graveyard here so she could turn to a fox as a demonstration, hinting about the Spirit Realm and the spiritworldly nature of fox spirits-

Via continues flirting, keeping the hints going but avoiding any more escalation. Not tonight, at least. At some point the dancing switches to sitting down and talking over (less powerful) drinks. 

She’s happy to hint at her own abilities: agelessness and the skill that comes with lifetimes of practice, bragging that she could turn into an animal right now if she wanted. Lordship over the forest, songs that stir the hearts of nature, etcetera. Wasn’t entirely joking earlier about the names, either, at one point she accidentally reveals that she has a secret name. 

As for culture, all she has there are complaints about being insular and self-centered. Proud of their language and songs and crafts, unwilling to even consider anything outside of them. 

See, she's doing good by keeping this menace(fond) away from the Eyerarchy's more delicate sorts~

Honestly, she wouldn't mind people who are much more direct. But flirting is fun too. Maybe she'll escalate if Tessa starts telling tales of past conquests? Her most impressive is a princess, but her favorite was this one sword hero-

She mention that she has a crown and a sword, everyone knows you want a girl who can do both. And do other things~

But doesn't really escalate.

With a sigh she explains that, at some point before anything really exciting can happen, there's going to be a whole thing with at least three and at most seven impossible tasks. "Need to mention that, don't want to give the wrong idea." 

...Yeah no. She quickly loses most interest. 

"Well, it's good to get expectations out in the open early. Alas. I have the double vices of a fundamental impatience and carefree living. I lust far too much for any such thing. T'was a fun dance none the less, fair Via."

A deep, sincere bow.

She returns the bow and gives a look of ‘believe me, I don’t much like this situation either’ before returning to neutral.

“It was a wonderful dance. Good hunting to you, with the rest of the fundamentally impatient and carefree... Actually, newcomer to the city, do you yet know where to find them?”

"Yesterday afternoon in fact. Just in time for Weiss to go on a daring rescue." Frustrsted sigh. "Hmph. Do tell me more~"

“Yesterday afternoon? Now I’ll have to check on you in few days, if no one’s given you the grand tour by then do it myself—“

There are a few notable spots for ‘adventurous individuals joining for companionship’ as the phrase goes around here. All of them come with some sort of complications. There’s a neighborhood where people go to be attacked by vampires, but some of them are actually predatory. There’s a proper club with music and dancing, but it’s full of subliminal messages trying to get you to transform your consciousness into disembodied light. There’s any bar within a hex of the Most Ancient Sisterhood of Biomancers and Fleshcrafters, but they get bored very quickly. There’s a lawful cult of love and war and a chaotic cult of forbidden revels, but no neutral equivalent so attending either one is a political statement. There’s this exiled prince who throws some wild parties, but you have to know the right people to ever get invited. Etcetera. 

“Even more I haven’t heard of, but those are the ones everyone should know.”

"Stars and gods. I wonder what people will say about kitsunes when we're more... Here. Most of us are incorrigible pranksters, I suppose. A lot of us, like me, are really open about it and utterly shameless. And almost no people is composed exclusively of nice individuals. Heh, becoming a known spot for 'adventurous individuals joining for companionship'- Pff- Would probably interfere with Weiss's mausoleum idea. I guess we'll see how things shake out."

“Oh, having met you, I’m sure they’ll have all kinds of things to say. You ready to be the talk of the town?” Eyebrows.

“There is one people where they’re all nice. Make the whole lot of us look bad with their little utopia garden. Boring, and pushovers too.”

"If being the talk of the town gets me nice things, I wouldn't mind. Gardens, hmm? Plant magic?"

“Nope. They don’t make the garden, just live in it. Never use it up, never fight over it, stay controlled so there’s never too many. Some kind of lesson about how we could live the same way, if we stopped wanting anything more than that.”

"I've heard the argument that all our evil desires are actually good, before. They drive ambition, innovation, adventure. Too much anything is a poison, in my opinion- Too much smugness and placidity, perhaps?"

“Perhaps, it’s a good argument. Golden mean, the lawful types call it. I know your too much impatience is a lot more fun than their too much placidity. Not my favorite argument, though. I prefer…”

“Just desires even if they’re not secretly good. The sea doesn’t have to explain herself when she swallows a ship whole. She just does, and people sail anyways.”

Nodnod. "The world does not owe you an explanation or a fair shot. Some people are born rich, or smart, or strong, or magical, and some are not. Facts are facts. But the question becomes how do you deal with that? How do you decide what to do, or how to feel- Inasmuch as you can decide feelings-"

“Mmm, don’t actually know that one. Usually my way is to just be the sea, in that way. Do things because I want to and I can, no philosophy needed. Or, if it’s not that easy, have a whole epic journey about it. The gates of the heavens and the depths of the underworld, all that.”

”Worked better back home than it does the city.”

"I focus on learning, and on enjoying the moment, which is a little bit 'be the sea'... They've got it worse. The ones who don't know they'll come back. They only get one shot, too."

“Eh. Most of them get reincarnated or recycled or whatever, don’t really seem to mind. Ask any of these eye types why they haven’t signed onto some cult with a nice afterlife, they don’t even want it. I can’t imagine getting bored and fading away so early.”

"So do ours. I don't think it really counts if you get scrubbed clean, personally... I probably will ask them about it, now that you mention it."

”None of that death and rebirth purification for you, then, don’t want to be scrubbed clean? I get it, rather stay myself and dirty.”

"Kitsunes endure only a light rinse, as it were. Very dirty, in my case. That filth is called being alive!"

“Ha! To being alive, then.”

She raises a glass for another toast.

"To being alive!"

Tessa will spend the rest of the party to (slightly drunkenly) learn more of the local lingua and make steadily more impatient and undeniable hints about 'wanting a room for the night and not minding sharing' with cute twos.

The other foxes enjoy the food, and dance (even Weiss, a bit, when pulled into it by Mati!), and exchange neighborly well-wishes and eventually retire to their own hex; A very crude log-pile sort of structure is put up and the trio of Mati, Megi, and Weiss just veg out and cuddle in it. Mati digs a few holes to put Spirit Seedlings in, but it's a big hex and she gets tired of it before it seems to make much difference.

The party slowly winds down. Yes, victory celebration, but there’s work to be done in the morning. 

Tessa can acquire a bit more of the language, and acquire a room and a bed to share. The one individual bold enough to make the offer is met with some impressed looks and some ‘no, you’ll make things weird with the potential ally’.

The others receive neighborly farewells, and Weiss is very solemnly given a branch of some unexplainably significant shrub. 

Blink blink blink. This feels like it could be important?

"Megi? Of all people, you are the one I would trust to care for a, uh, sacred branch. And I'm tired. Can you ask what this is about?"

She takes it delicately and solemnly examines the branch.

"Of course, dear. Ahem. Though I don't know the full meaning of this gesture, I would certainly like to. We would all despair to see anything of spiritual importance disrespected."

They don’t know the full meaning either. The priest who introduced them to Lady Victory and taught them this celebration said to grow this shrub and give a branch to the guest of honor. Never explained what it means or what the guest of honor does with it after. 

The captain also got one and is considering making it into an arrow. Not good arrow wood, but it might be blessed or something.

(...She checks if the branch is magic in any way.)

"Who is Lady Victory? An imposing figure indeed from the name, like our own Light Gods?"

The branch Is very faintly magical, but in the way a lot of plants are very faintly magical. 

Someone calls the three-eyed individual whose job it is to know the gods and the four-eyed individual whose job it is to remember and understand legends. They can put a picture together:

An imposing figure indeed. Across countless worlds she is worshipped as the goddess of love and war. In visions and dreams she shows the sweet fruits that victory will bring, and so stirs men and armies up to kill and die. 

She will not help you in the battle. That part you have to do yourself. 

But when you need a reason to fight, she will be at your side. When you celebrate afterwards, she will be at your side. 

The two-eyed, specifically, murmur approvingly at the description. 

She nods solemnly. 

"...Akin to Galasa, whose sign is the comet, the light goddess of the call to action. To duty. And of the journey to adulthood. I like it. I think I shall try to grow this- Though I might fail, I feel an urge to try."

They look impressed at Galasa. Guess that as ‘the light that calls to action’ she’s probably a relative of Victory. Curious to hear more about her, but when it’s not so late in the day.

The Eyerarchy priestly types encourage Megi in growing the branch, and ask to see it, if she succeeds. 

"I don't think you have it quite right... But I'll be happy to explain the Light Gods and Galasa specifically further, another day."

The foxes will mostly relax on their own hex and begin planting seeds from Weiss's forest for most of the rest of the day, after that.

It’s good soil for planting, if a bit bland and generic. 

day/night cycle progresses as is standard

The roaring sound of the engine approaches, unpleasantly early in the morning.