She appears at the top of a hill, as the sun starts dipping below the horizon and painting the sky red.

Around her, more rolling hills and plains in the distance. The slopes are covered in vineyards, with the occasional copse of olive trees. The plains are filled with ripe wheat fields, waving in the breeze like a vast ocean of grass.

She can see the first stars timidly appear in the East, and the grass below her feet. Approximately five meters below her feet.

Yipe!

She falls and lands hard with a whuf and a thump. Her ears droop and she yips in surprise. That was sure something.

...She is now very lost. Mission accomplished? This should be interesting, right? New places to explore! Currently it looks a little familiar- Farmland and vineyards.

Hmm... An enormous, big-wolf-sized fox is probably pretty alarming. A wolf sized wolf would be, too. That's the downside to such a physically powerful form, she's a lot less sneaky- And active illusions are draining, you can't keep them up forever, even if full invisibility is much more draining. She always seems to miss something in her disguises, though, and today it's a distinct reddish sheen to her mane. Still, she will muddle her outline until she looks more like a small pony, taking care to muddle her scent as well, and wander.

She walks steadily down the path, listening and watching the fields and the village. What do the people here do? What are they like? They're not speaking anything she's familiar with. They're humans... Just, humans. They're farming, and doing laundry, and gossiping, and the little boys are playing with sticks.

There's not a single drop of magic around... Except... A faint whiff over that way? Yes, a subtle glimmer of it, coming from somewhere inside a farmhouse. That must be the local witch! Very good.

She trots right up to the little house, trying her best to act very horse-like, and sees if any of the windows are open.

There is a flickering light coming out of one of the windows, barely visible in the last light of the setting sun.

"Dear Luna, protect our village as your light shine upon it, grants us rest so our harvest tomorrow is plentiful, and bless the children who are conceived under your embrace."
"So mote it be."

There is a glimmer of magic, and light goes off as the candles are extinguished by a brief flick of wind.

Nice. Harvest magic. Protection magic. It's one of those shamanistic things, not so much a single powerful spell as a vague blessing... But this one's a good egg. She feels good intentions here.

It bothers Weiss, sometimes, not always being able to help people except by destroying their enemies. She doesn't have any really directly useful magic, you know? It's illusions and fighting and her Spirit World trick. Maybe she could hunt something there and deliver it if she feels really guilty or grateful... Ehhh... If anything happens to threaten this place while she's still sticking around, she'll protect it, but she probably would have done that anyway...

She doesn't know human magic, but she can mess with this witch a bit, perhaps...? Let her know it's actually working? In a good way!

She creates an illusion of a pale white moon among the candles, softly glowing and translucent and shimmering in the air, and lets it fade after about ten seconds.

This... had never happened before. Selena knows that her prayers are doing something, it would be quite hard to explain how she was became a girl otherwise, but the effect are usually... subtle, gradual.

It took her months to realize that her chest was growing, and even then she stayed away from the village for years before she was confident her face and body were different enough that people would not associate her with that poor boy who just disappeared into the forest one day.

But this sign... what is her Goddess telling her? Is she doing good? Is she making a mistake? Why now?

She sets the remnants of her fake moonlight shooting off towards the village in a sparkly wave and nods firmly to herself for a job well done.

Going towards the village? Now? But everyone is sleeping?

Well, she won't doubt Her sign.

She makes sure all the candles are safely out, then grabs her coat and gets outside.

She notices a pony just outside her window, without any leash or saddle.

"Hi there sweetie! Are you lost, you poor thing? Let me grab an apple for you, we can become friends and I can help you get home."

Well, this explains what she's supposed to do. It's just weird that it was so... overt.

She goes to grab a red apple from the pantry and then goes looking for the small lost friend, is it still there next to her window?

...Hehehe. Oops? She meant to illustrate that her magic was working, but she took it as instructions. That's the trouble with visual metaphor.

Ooh, apple! She will totally eat an apple. She loves apples. Delicious and juicy~! So she's still there, wondering what would be most amusing...

Keeping up the horse disguise... Changing in little ways over time... Dropping it suddenly to reveal her fox form... Maybe saying something very solemn and praiseful while otherwise still appearing to be a mostly-normal horse...

(Her tail, illusory and non, is wagging and making a quiet swooshy noise.)

She starts petting the horse, slowly drifting from the ears to the neck, letting it get confident with her touch and proximity.
(Is the horse a boy or a girl? She bends over to check. A girl!)

"Your tail is very beautiful, did you know that? I know everyone thinks it's silly to talk to animals, but sometimes I feel like you could understand me..."

...Oi. She wants to whap this stranger with her tail for that. But it'd ruin the trick. But she's annoyed.

...Yeah, she will go ahead and lightly whap! The horse tail is now a big fluffy fox tail, white tip and all. For a moment or two. While it bats at her side firmly. Then it looks like a horse tail again.

"Some animals aren't really animals, you know?"

"What, no, who are you? Did Luna sent you?"

She takes a step back, puts her hand on her chest and bows slightly, without really breaking eye contact.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, great spirit."

She didn't notice the tail changing.

She lets the illusion of a pony fall away, laughing quietly. She shakes her suddenly-fanged head.

There's a giant, toothy fox, right next to her.

"That's what I get for pretending to be an ordinary animal. I cannot blame you for my own trick falling back on me! Well, I can, but it wouldn't be very fair. So it's fine."

That is a big fox. She didn't know they could get that big! But it's speaking, and talking about tricks, so it's probably someone that can be talked to?

Well, and it hasn't attacked yet, so there's that.

"Would you like another apple?"

"I would definitely like more apples! -You know, that moon was me. I thought maybe you weren't really sure what you were doing was working. But I can see magic, and it definitely is."

"Oh. I thought it was... but of course not, why would She spend efforts on me."

She cautiously rolls the apple towards the scary fox.

"I... already knew my magic works. At least on myself." She hugs herself and looks at the ground.

"Just... I can never be sure if any one spell works. I always ask myself if the results are something that would have happened anyway, or only because of my magic. I guess it must be nice to see magic!"

Apple! Nom! (It seems she doesn't need her mouth free to speak.)

"A goddess? They're usually pretty quiet. I don't think they think the same way people down here do. I don't think I've ever seen a god send a clear message. Or well, not in words. It's all, who can channel their miracles. That's how they talk. That's how they act. You must be doing something right. And it's pretty nice to see magic, yes. I'm quite lucky. Hmm... Are you the only witch here?"

"Yeah, and barely tolerated at that. The Church really doesn't look favorably upon people that move beyond their view of the world." And if they knew that she has... well, good thing they don't.

"They pretend that their god is the only one that exist. I survive by being small and quiet, and because Father Franz is a good bean."

"I've met the type. They're probably 'civilizing' everything as they go, right? Drag the kids into their schools, make you sell to their merchants at their prices, barge into people's homes to 'investigate criminals'... The thing is, the people who are most interested in being the boss are usually the least worthy of it. And individual people are rarely the ones driving it, but the whole mess has weight like a runaway cart. It's how things work almost everywhere. But there's good beans too."

"I mean, they don't do any 'investigation' or price fixing in Tereo, but that's mostly because Father Franz would not stand for it. They definitely encourage parents to send children to their classes and helpfully advise the local leaders on how to be pious men though. Would not want kids to get strange ideas, you know? The boys need to grow strong to help their families in the fields, the girls should prepare for a life as housewives - and obey their husbands. It's the good thing to do."

"Eugh."

"Eugh, indeed. They probably even mean it, bumbling around sure they have the answers and no care to what they're breaking. The problems, I think, are made that much worse by harsh lives. There's little enough room to strike forth and try something else."

"Shall we go inside? I'm starting to get cold.... I'm sure with your magnificent fur you're perfectly comfortable but I'm just human..."

Nod, nod.

"Ah, sure, and if it's my shape being suspicious that's the problem-"

Shift, into a body wearing stained linen-and-leather travelling clothes.

And then she hides the ears and tail as best she can. Her eyes still look a little bit off, though.

"Hello, I'm Weiss."

Awwww, the ears are so cute on her human form. Shame she's hiding them!

She holds out her hand. "I'm Selena. So... are you a spirit? A shapechanging mare?"

"I am a beautiful fox, thank you very much." She drops the illusion for a moment and holds her white-tipped tail out for inspection. (Her ears stand up proudly.) "There are definitely spiritual things about my kind, but I wouldn't necessarily call us spirits. Inside, you said?"

"You are beautiful." She's incredibly tempted to touch the tail (it looks so fluffy!), but stop herself and opens the door, inviting her inside.

"Please, take a sit."

The room has few pieces of furniture: a big oak table, very simple chairs with straw seats and square legs, and a big cupboard on the far wall. The walls have been painted with stylized flowers and leaves, and there are crystals and chimes hanging next to the window.

When Weiss sits, she gets closer, inhales deeply and asks "Can I touch your tail?"

"Hmmm." She taps a finger on her chin. Her ears twitch half from amusement and half from annoyance. "You did give me apples. I shall graciously allow you to do so, if you also brush my tail."

She reaches a hand into the poofy fur and somehow pulls it back out again with a well-made wooden brush.

"But of course, you magnanimous and benevolent vixen!" She's smiling now.

She runs her fingers through her tail, enjoying the sensation and marveling at how exactly the brush fit in there...

She starts brushing it, and after a while encounters a small knot.

She grabs the base of the tail to be able to apply more force with the brush without hurting Weiss.

This is nice. Almost like lounging around with sisters. Nice lady who knows to respect kitsunes! A good first person to land on in a strange land.

"Eep."

"-Careful with that spot!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

"Nnnno. Just don't touch that part of my tail, okay? Hold it up higher if you have to."

"Oh, sorry, sorry."

Brush, brush, brush.

"So, where do you come from?"

The brushing is nice. Her tail tries to wag a bit, a couple of times.

"Hmm... Well, the kingdom is called Noten, I guess. I think it's pretty far from here, probably. I spent a lot of time in the wild or in the Spirit World too. That's where I live. Where I come from... I don't think anyone truly knows. We just kind of appear."

"Never heard of it. But then again, I've never been further than Pasloe, so what do I know..."

"If you want you can transform into a fox again and I can brush the rest of your mane while we talk. You are it's beautiful, you must be proud of it."

"My fur is one of my favorite things about life! Maybe in a little bit, if I'm not going to need to be human-shaped for a while? It's a bit tiring to transform repeatedly."

"Oh, are you hungry? Do you need more food? I have some more apples, or... can you eat human food? I could prepare you something."

"I can, and it helps a bit. Sweet, sugary things help a lot more, especially if baked with love. And plain old hugs and cuddles too! Don't feel obliged though. I'll just go be a fox in the woods for a while if I have to." 

And one more source, not that she ever indulges that one.

So, on the one hand, it would be really nice to prepare something for Weiss, but on the other hand it would mean pausing the brushing. Terrible.

"I think I'm too tired to bake, unfortunately. I can offer you some apples or peaches for now."

"Would you like a hug?"

"I don't want to be too greedy, you know? It's fine. And a hug would be nice. I think the tail really adds something important to them."

Hug! Her hug is strong and she won't let go first.

Mmhm, hug is nice.

Her tail wraps around their side and up her back, pressing firmly. She rests her head against Selena's shoulder. Is there something they can lean against?

The table is - conveniently - right there!

Ooooh, the tail wrap is good!

"Can I pet your ears?"

"Mmm... Sure. Just be real gentle, alright? They're very sensitive."

Pet pet pet pet.

After the tail incident she's very careful and gentle.

After a while she yawns.

"Uh, sorry, I must be more tired than I realized."

Very careful gentle ear-scritches are really nice! She purrs a bit.

"It's late. Don't let me keep you up. You probably need your rest if you want to keep practicing magic! It's not a kind I recognize."

"It's mostly rituals, lots of candles, moonlight and hope. I can show you tomorrow, if you want."

"Do you have a place to sleep? My bed is big enough for two, and definitely more comfortable than the forest."

Pet pet pet.

"It's a lot warmer in here than out there, if nothing else... If you don't mind? I don't like to impose. I am warm and snuggly, kitsune sisters love sleeping in a big pile..."

"I'd love to. But going to bed would mean letting go, and I'm not sure I want to do that. You're so fluffy!"

Pet pet pet.

Ok. She can do this.

She lets go, then gestures to follow and starts walking to her bedroom.

This witch has been a lovely first find. She gets to relax in a house, with nobody yelling or looking for her, and be petted and snuggled. Both comfy and charging!

Her tail, squished between the two of them once settled in the bed, is an incredibly comfy, soft, warm blanket. She yawns deeply, showing fangs.

She removes most of her clothes, then gets into bed and removes her pants while under the covers.

She starts absentmindedly petting the tail, taking care to avoid the base.

"Good night Weiss!"

She blows the bedside candle off.

She shed most of her outer layers for a thin linen shorts and nightshirt at some point when Selena wasn't looking in her direction. Magic? Probably.

Snugggggggle...

"'Night, s'lene..."

The very tip of her tail curls around her hand.

Selena wakes up slowly, as the first rays of the sun enter through the window.

During the night she must have gotten closer to Weiss, cause her tail is now tightly squished between them.

Then she notices that all the squishing caused... a predictable reaction.

Oh no. No no no no no.

She moves veeeery slowly, trying incredibly hard to not rouse Weiss.

Please please please, don't wake up now.

As soon as she's far enough she rolls out of bed and fumbles on the floor for her pants.

Zzzzz...

"Whuzz... Hrm?"

Weiss rolls over, grabbing at the empty spot. 

"Humu... Apples... Chicken... Mmm..."

Zzzzz...

Cute!

She quietly gets to the kitchen and starts grabbing ingredients: flour, water, apples, butter...

She wakes up more fully when kitchen noises start happening. They have a different character than walking around or fumbling on the floor, and aren't as easily filtered out.

She takes a minute to get changed properly into a sort of white sundress, rather than sticking with the illusion-clothes method. The maintenance on those kind of adds up.

"Selena? Good morning... That was comfy. Thanks, I needed that."

"I slept very well too, your tail is really comfortable to lean on..."

She is using a rolling pin on the table, and there's a bowl of cut apples to the side.

"Hehe... Foxes make the best pillows, don't you know?"

She holds out her tail and wiggles the white tip.

"I'd love to brush it more, but it will have to wait, I'd make it completely white with all the flour!"

"Fair enough~" She singsongs. "I'd like to contribute to chores while I'm a guest. 'Cause I'm up now, and want to do something, and I'm stronger than I look. Anything need hauling, or the like?"

"You can keep me company and give moral support as I bake, how about that?"

There is wood to be chopped in the back but she can deal with it herself later.

And besides, it would mean not being able to ogle watch respectfully the fluffy tail.

"Hmm, if you insist?"

She sits at the table. "How about I tell you a story?"

She thinks for a moment... She's kind of having trouble thinking of a good one, actually? It needs to be a good show too, not just the words...

"Have you ever heard of a Wendigo? Be thankful such cursed beasts are rare to the point of near myth... There are old places in the world, cursed places, where magic has pooled in festering rot. Nobody knows why these places form, but they are found where horrible tragedy and ruin once struck. The pain, anguish, and resentment of ages, trapped and slowly fading... These places can be purified, with effort, but it is very dangerous, for the cursed beasts that lurk there are mighty and cunning, some as intelligent as you or I. The most dangerous foe is the smart one..."

An illusion takes shape as she speaks, of a tall beast, skeletal but with menacing corded black muscle, an empty ribcage, a bird-skull head and diseased claws and hateful red eyes.

She weaves a tail of adventure, with plentiful more illusions in a slightly-cartoonish style. Running from the Wendigo, then witnessing its attacks on innocents and fighting it, chasing it away. Slaying it, but knowing it would return just from the foul taint in the air, and then travelling to a great lizard-kin wizard who might know how to end such a thing permanently, dodging trouble on the road from suspiciously bandit-like 'merchants' to beastfolk packs intent on kidnapping her to a wild blizzard that made the whole region impassable, knowing all the while that the Wendigo was recuperating and covering its tracks... Recruiting allies and falling into a cunning trap where the Wendigo was sparing one village if it would help hunt others... It all finishes up in a dramatic confrontation with help from two other kitsunes and a brave human boy who, terrified out of his mind, willingly acted as bait. The beast was chased down, cornered, and slain by fire and claw and an array of specially enchanted crystals to ensure its permanent end, the cursed site that birthed it set up with a shrine and slowly purified. One of the kitsunes fell in love and married the brave lad in the aftermath!

"Spooky! Those illusions are very good, you could get a girl to leave her house - convinced that her goddess has sent her a sign!"

And the pie is now in the oven!

"Today is the beginning of harvest season. I'm going to do my own 'harvest', and spend the day in the forest looking for healing herbs. Do you want to come with?"

Whaaat? Just 'spooky' is all the reaction she gets? She thought it was good!

"...Sure. I guess."

"Something's wrong?"

"It's fine. I'm just being stupid." She's definitely pouting inside, going by how her ears droop.

"Would you like a hug? Some more brushing while the pie is cooking?"

"Well, if you don't mind. And I'm definitely going to help out how I can, for pie..."

"Of course I don't! Do you still have the brush in your tail? I still don't get how it just... stays there!"

"I appreciate the thought! Honestly what I feel I need the most is... company. That's why I preferred you to stay here while I baked. Of course there are always things to do in and around the house but someone to share quiet existence with is something precious."

"How it stays there is: Magic. It's my Tail of Holding!" Wagwagwag.

"-Huh. Yeah, I get it. I get lonely after long enough and have to go find my sisters. Or someone who'll spend time with me and not... Want things..."

Time for a hug?

Hug!

"Do people usually want things from you?"

Hug hug hug.

"Well, most places seem kind of stressful to exist in, you know? It's... There's always some bully ruining things for everyone else. And it's really exhausting to hide the ears and tail for too long and. There are certain assumptions about Kitsunes that can be uncomfortable, if I don't hide 'em."

"It's the first time I see a person with fox ears and a tail, so I don't know what the assumptions may be, but if they're uncomfortable we don't need to talk about them. How about brushing your tail instead? It is an incredible pillow and deserves to be properly be taken care of."

A hairbrush is fished out. "Well, I like to stay active so I might eventually say 'no' to tail-brushing... But not here and now."

"Well, we need to wait for the pie to be ready, don't we?"

She starts brushing.

"What magic do you have, beside shapeshifting and illusions?"

Hmm... How much to say? Selena seems nice, but looks can be deceiving and it's been less than a day. Then again, her magic is weird, and this region is mostly void of magic. She's far from home. And she doesn't think that she's very vulnerable, exactly... You know, it's fine to be open and honest once in a while, right?

"Well... I don't tell everyone everything I can do, but there's my tail, there's what I would call considerable physical might, this is a bit of an understatement, the illusions, shapeshifting... Every Kitsune gets something a little bit different. There are common powers and less common ones, though. I can also invite guests to the Spirit World, to a little place I call the Woods. It's hard to describe. I can create and manipulate Fox Fires. These can be either harmless or actually burning. And I'm much stronger at... Basically everything when under the light of the full moon."

"I would love to visit the Woods one day, but I think it's fair to wait until we trust each other more."

"Oooh, yes, a full moon is always a special night. You can tell She is closer to us and magic feels... different, more fizzy!" Especially when skyclad. Not that she could do it with someone else present, unfortunately. Not while... well. Maybe one day, maybe she will be strong enough.

"I would have called it... Cool, smooth, clear... The thing about trust is... I don't think there's a lot of ways you can hurt me? It's- Kind of a problem sometimes, actually- But look at me complaining at the troubles of strength."

Sigh. More hug.

Hug hug hug.

"Pie's ready!"

She gets it from the oven and cuts a couple slices.

"They say to wait until it's not hot anymore, but I can never resist."

"It looks delicious! It smells delicious! And it tastes..."

A careful, dainty bite.

Mmmm! Oh, mmmm, that's a lot. She perks up brightly.

"-Oh, stars, you really put a lot of lo- Of feeling into this pie, didn't you?"

"I'll tell you a secret... I hate cooking. For myself. But I do love doing it for others, it's a form of caring that makes a necessity of life into something nice and worth sharing."

"I'm really happy you like it!"

"A lot of kitsune get more magic from - comfort and joy and hugs and togetherness and all that good stuff. Like sweet pies! The tartness of the apples and the flour and sweetness all add up into more than the sum of the parts! And being made for me makes it that much better, so I really appreciate it! You should have some too. It won't take anything away from me, and good food is better shared."

Nomfff. She wiggles a bit, eyes closed.

Ooooh, it came out really nice!

Omnomnom.

"Want to go look for herbs?"

"Sure. I can get to know the forest and all... Is this just a plot to keep me close for longer, hmmm~?"

"I..."

Fgksdjaslkdjaslkdjlaskdjflaskdjflaskdjfazsdf.

"If you don't want to I won't bother you, sorry."

Nyehehe. "I said it's fine, right? I can take one day off from my important duties of nothing."

It's a short walk to the nearest spot, some brushes at the edge of the forest.

"Sclopìt, (Silene) bruscandoli, (hops) urtìe, (nettle) pissacàn, (dandelion) valeriana, (cornsalad) I think I have everything I wanted from this place. We need to get more into the forest proper for the really magical ones, these are sometimes useful, but I mostly use them for cooking."

"I mostly know my herbs by, like, 'the one with the tasty roots', or 'the one that repels bugs'. You'd think I'd recognize more, but this is a different region. Bruscandoli and pissacàn are familiar..."

"I think they call them... hops and dandelions up north? They're pretty common."

They're getting deeper in the forest now. The sun still filters from the leaves, but the temperature has dropped a bit, and there is a faint water sound in the distance.

"I have some jars of spices I like. Chili and pepper and ginger and cinnamon and coffee- Coffee's not quite a spice. Cinnamon goes well with apples. I didn't foresee wanting seeds- I think these only grow in really warm places anyway."

It's a lovely little patch of forest. Tame.

Any prey-ish sounds around? Her ears can almost certainly hear them.

Hongry! Prey! ...But she just ate pie. She's not that hungry. It's just that hearing a tasty deer activates some well established habits.

Yeah, not really worth interrupting the walk for. Also, it's better to let 'em grow up first. More meat that way. (Her stomach rumbles and she's intently looking in that direction, though.)

Boink boink boink.

Life is nice, it's summer and food is plenty.

"Ooooh, I have some paprika, but if you want we can take a small detour and look for the fresh pepper."

She stops from time to time to collect more herbs.

"Fresh pepper" on venison "sounds lovely, actually!"

Walk walk walk.

Here they are.

"These can be quite hot, sure you can handle them?"

"Oh, you meant spicy peppers, not black pepper? That's even better! I'm thinking of a stir-fry now..."

"Oooooh, nice! I think I have some carrots in my garden. We can get them on our way back. Are you hungry yet?"

"...Mmmyeah. I don't usually have a bottomless stomach, but there's a fawn over that way and I can hear it and it's making me want to go score some venison. But it's better to let 'em get full grown, and I don't know the forest yet, won't know if I'm overhunting."

"Yes, please, don't hunt the babies, while I understand the circle of life is a necessity, they do deserve to live at least to adulthood. A single fox will not overhunt this forest, but I appreciate you being careful about it."

"I can prepare more food for you, if you need it. Some more pies are always an option, or we could try something different."

"This fox is the size of a wolf! I do like the idea of stir fry... I could hunt in the Woods, in the spirit world, that's a better idea."

"I don't think I can help you with that, I would probably just hinder you."

"Regroup at my house in... a couple hours? I have no idea how much time you'd need for hunting."

"Sure. See you soon."

-There's a frisson of energy, something happens, and it's as if she turned a corner into a direction that doesn't exist, and she's gone.

She returns to the farmhouse an hour later, carrying a decidedly strange ungulate-like creature over her back.

"Uh, that's the weirdest goat I've ever seen. Assuming it is a goat."

On the table there's a variety of vegetables, already chopped and ready to be mixed.

"It's a kind from Africa! The Spirit World is dreamlike like that, sometimes. Do you have anywhere for butchering?"

"Not really, no. I tend to consume very little meat. We could bring it to the village's butcher and pay him with a cut. I'm pretty sure that he'd be delighted to have something he's never seen before."

"And if he asks where it's from, we just look at each other and say, 'magic'." She snickers. "That would be funny."

"It would! Let's go!"

She wraps herself in an illusion and tries not to laugh at the butcher's nonplussment and tells him it's most similar to a young cow, she thinks, in taste and the useful parts. They can get a little meat now and come pick up the rest of their share later. She doesn't care about the horns or skin or bones or anything.

"So what other magic do you have? I've seen you do illusions and shapeshift, anything else you feel comfortable sharing?"

"A lady has to keep some mysteries, yes? Those are the two big ones, though. Most of the rest is extensions of it, in a way- I guarantee I'm tougher than any man who ever lived, without magic anyway."

A mental image of Weiss pinning her to the wall briefly visits her mind. Uninvited and not entirely unwelcome welcome.

"You were a mare when I met you, can you do other animals too? Like a mouse, or a bear..."

"Oh, I was a fox the whole time. It was all illusion. It's a lot easier to do something that mostly conforms to reality. I could pretend to be a mouse or a bear, the bear more easily than the mouse..."

"Oh, I see... it felt so real though, even to the touch. So you wouldn't be able to squeeze into tight spots as a mouse I guess?"

"Nope! I might be able to- So, my illusions are really unusually convincing even among my sisters. As long as a person's interacting with them somewhere, myself or someone else, they can have weight and substance. It's a really broad ability that takes creativity to make maximum use of."

She snaps her fingers and reveals a white pawn as if she'd been holding it the whole time. "It's good for games!"

"Ooooh, do you play chess too? Father Franz taught me the rules, I'm not a good player but I bet he'd love to play with you."

"Chess is fun but I'm kind of terrible at it too... If he doesn't notice my little curse that could be neat. I've learned to live with it but I can never fully hide. Usually it's my eyes. Look close and you'll see that they're a bit vertical. But if I push that away, something else will show." Shrug. "Sometimes I can get away with making it a weird scar or tattoo."

"Want to play some terrible chess together then?"

"Sounds fun!"

She whips up a board and pieces with a dramatic gesture.

"I think you should make the first move. I'll play raven."

"Okay, I'm white, then..."

Fly, my pretty pawn! One space forward, her bishop yearns for freedom! She never opens up the king and queen too soon.

"Is the preference for sweets about taste or does it matter for your magic?"

Her king is also staying well hidden for now. She'll mirror Weiss's move, curious to see where she's leading her.

"So, not all kitsune work the same way, but the emotion and care put into the baking get turned almost directly to magic for me! The same way cuddles do. It's nice."

Bishop and knights creep up the sides, leaving the center still and quiet at first.

"And here I thought I had found a fellow sweet tooth, alas, you're just eating out the care I put into cooking for others."

It's like a dance, trying to understand your opponent and predict how they will react to your movements. She castles, she prefers the rook free to move and the king tucked away.

"Oh, I love sugar too, but you don't know how literal love tastes. It's amaaaazing. Like a hug in the mouth and belly."

Time for aggression aggression aggression. Keep poking constantly.

"Can't say I've ever had occasions to taste love, no. I tend to... always cook for myself."

She tries to keep up, but Weiss is a stronger player and will soon come up on top. Still, she offers some token resistance, it's more fun to overwhelm someone who is struggling at least a little.

"Hehe... I'm going to win at this rate you know?"

And here comes the queen, using her sneaky setup to become an irresistible force.

Without really thinking about it she runs her foxpaw feet over Selena's under the table, tickling slightly. 

"Check."

"Oh no, woes is me, I'm being outfoxed!"

Her pawns try their best, but her king is about to be revealed and then it's going to be impossible to protect him from the queen's advance.

"EEP!"

She startles, and knocks a couple of pieces over.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Breeeeeathe. "It's fine, I just didn't expect it and I've made a mess, let me clean this up."

She rights the fallen pieces and prepares for her inevitable demise.

"I'm sorry too. I was acting like you're one of my sisters- Fellow kitsunes. Got a bit too comfortable there." 

Ahem.

Check. Check. No immediate check after that one. Aaaaand.... Checkmate.

"I... appreciate that actually. It's not often that I feel safe around someone, but I feel like I can trust you. I'm probably being naïve - we barely know each other, but it's nice to let go of my shields." Well, some of them, anyway.

Yeah, the game has been a lost cause for a while now, but it's been fun!

"Do you have any more plans for today? I'm going to prepare for my night rituals soon. It's going to be harvest moon in a couple days, and I like to start preparing for it in advance so that I can concentrate on Her during the night and not have to think about anything else."

"Nobody's- I mean, yeah, we hardly know each other yet. That's how it goes when you meet people. But I think you're good people... It would be really interesting to watch you do magic and see if I can - make sense of it enough to help? But I'm also kind of feeling like being a fox in the forest for a while now."

"Then I encourage you to be your fluffiest self while I prepare, and if you want you can join me at dusk for the actual rite."

That's a nice look.

"See you at sunset!"

She'll explore the woods some more, look for wild food and get a feel for local herbivore populations, until then.

Oh look, it's the weird orange friend again.

Boink boink boink.

Oh look, berries! She loves berries!

Omnomnomnomnom.

Doesn't this one have any sense of self preservation? Sheesh.

...Oh, wait, fawns' fear reaction is to curl up and lie down, waiting for mama, isn't it? It's not like they'll be outrunning anything, so Evolution chose 'hide, but not very well' instead.

...Growl! Snap teeth! You're supposed to run from scary things you little idiot.

(She's Very Frozen.)

...Yeah, fawns freeze instead of running.

It's just an animal. But Sana asked her not to, earlier.

She investigates a different part of the forest for berries and roots and such.

That was scary for a moment. But the orange... friend... probably wanted to just play a prank on her, right?

Boink boink boink.

The forest has a lot of wild fruits, she can recognize blackberries and some late raspberries.

She has a good sense of smell. She'll go on a little gathering spree. Berries, maybe yarrow or wild carrot if she can sniff them out, or the edible sorts of mushrooms... Honey... Maybe a rabbit, those little idiots are more defensible than the fawn as prey...

Whatever the results, it's relaxing. And she'll head back around sunset with a magic tail stuffed with the proceeds.

"Welcome back! Did you have a good hunt? I'm almost done with my preparations, the ritual starts as the sun gives his last light."

"I'm looking forward to it."

She activates her arcane sight to peer around. Currently Selena seems a lot like the witches she's familiar with- Each has their own incredibly weird, specific, idiosyncratic rituals, and deriving new ones is intensely personal work. If that's the case, she might not be able to help much beyond pointing out magic.

There is a ritual circle drawn on the ground. On its edge, 30 candles stand ready to be lit. Inside it an hexagon and a pentagonal star are inscribed.

"Do you have any questions before we begin, sister?"

Sister? Where did that come from?

Oh well, too late now. She said what she said.

"A few. How did you come up with this ritual? Shall I just observe and see what I can see? Would you like me to light the candles for you- Or is that part of the ritual?"

"Honestly? Mostly trial and error. The five and six come from the Great Cycle of 30 years of the lunar calendar which is also where the 30 candles come from. The circle is a symbol of Her, and I felt better with a pentagonal star and hexagonal circle than any other combination."

"You can just observe, if you want, or we can try having you participate. I've never done it with someone else, never felt safe enough to share, so we'll have to improvise as we go, but I feel like I can do it with you."

"You can definitely help me light the candles. For new moon it's going to be part of the ritual, but today I'm going for the simplified version. Well, not completely simplified, the simplest version uses five candles only, no other circle or symbol."

"...It's probably better if I see you do the whole thing through at least once, first. There's always later."

She pulls her fluffy tail in front of herself and paws a few embers off the tip. They gently float down to light the candles in rapid succession.

"Beautifully done."

And as the sun sets.

The ritual begins with a small melody, just an echo of the full one.

"Let the song begin."

The prayer is spoken with rhythm and repetition, not quite a song but not entirely unlike one.

"We witness the blood of the sun painting the sky in good omen. We witness the stars bearing the stories of old. We witness your face, almost full, smiling lovingly on us."

"We appreciate, a new friendship, the hunt - feral, the sacrifice of life, the melody we sing in the song of life."

"We see, Pold's pain, Marlin's sleep eternal, Noya's slowness, ..."

... "my struggle".

"We hope, for relief, for memories, for rest, for change."

"And as the circle opens, we accept our sisters."

She looks at Weiss.

"Do you want to add a color, an emotion to the song?"

"Peace is a luxury. May Tereo continue to enjoy it."

"So mote it be."

The magic is subtle at first, soft threads of yarn slowly spiraling from the candles towards the center as the ritual progress, and as the last words are spoken they all connect at the center, under Selena.

The threads are the colors of the full moon, of the new moon, of the blood moon, and as they reach the center they start slithering over Selena, covering her in colored spirals, all over her body, over her head.

They start to strain until, as they finish enveloping her,  they snap from the candles, snuffing them out. They briefly collect in a circle above her head, then fly out of the window and start towards the moon.

And then, too faint to be perceived by human ears, "Thank you, sisters. My light will guide you."

She's watching the magic flow intently, when suddenly her ears perk up.

"-Ah. Luna." Pause. "You don't sound like the moon I know, but you're welcome."

Then she claps her hands.

"Good news! You're not a witch. You're a priestess. Bad news! I absolutely can't help you with magic!"

"What do you mean? You know I don't worship the Church's god! And besides, they only have male priests, they would never allow a priestess."

"I heard a goddess, just now."

She shuts her eyes and plays the message at human volume with an illusion.

"Swear on my tail it's not a prank or lie. One hundred per cent serious."

"She... thanked us?"

"I feel so... inadequate. Even this ritual is... a mash of things I tried and yet... She has seen us."

"Why do you say you can't help with the magic? You just did, She thanked us both..."

"I suppose so... But I mean, your magic is not the kinds I'm used to. It's going to be... A conversation and understanding between you and your goddess. Not something I can poke and prod at. That's how these things worked at home, anyway."

"I see."

She sits in silence, her eyes on the moon, letting her mind be free of worries for a moment.

Selena puts away the candles and clears the floor of all the signs with practiced ease, then gestures to follow as she goes back into the kitchen.

"So, what did you see?"

"Mm! So- It was pretty... Slow? There was a lot of magic in the outer circle and the magic reached inwards from the candles, but very slowly, moving from each candle in a sort of inward spiral..." She illusions up a display. "It all met in the middle when we said the final words, then burst out and I couldn't follow it after that."

"Ooooh, pretty... hope you enjoyed the view! I think it goes to Her after that..."

She sighs contentedly, and slumps on the chair.

"I have a question for you, but don't know how to phrase it. Let me think."

"So. First thing first. I'm really happy with hosting you and would be happy to do that for a long time, even before considering that you're already pulling your weight, your hunting is more than enough to cover any expenses we may have - for the both of us, really."

"That said, what are your plans? Are you leaving soon? Would you like to stay for long? Mostly to understand if I should be planning for two for the winter. Again, I'd be happy to host you." Please just stay forever.

"I dunno. I mean, I should think about poking around for the way home- Rift or no rift, the Spirit World always has a way home, eventually- But I'm not really in a hurry? And it sounds... Nice, to just take a break and do not much for a while. Not forever, but, a while. I like travelling. I think I'll like basking in the peace, there's not even a tiny whiff of curses around here, so thank all the gods for that..."

"It's definitely a good place to settle and thrive. The earth is generous, the people are kind - well, mostly kind - and the weather is mild."

"Mmm. I'm not a settling type... It's, I can't remember the poem, but there was this saying about - wings and roots. Some people are birds, and some people are trees, and they can complement each other. I'm definitely more bird-like than tree-like."

"Well, then feel free to perch here while your wings are not calling you away. I think I'm a tree, I like being here, being part of the web of life, nourishing and being nourished."

...This calls for a hug, complete with tail wrapping around legs.

Hugs are good. Hugs with fluffy tails are the best.

She'll lean into the hug, feeling utterly safe and comfortable.

Maybe a bit too comfortable, as she falls asleep for a split second before catching herself.

"Uh, whops. Guess I'm more sleepy than I expected. I should probably embed soon."

"I guess it's about that time, yeah. Tomorrow's a new day and all. Same sleeping arrangement as before...?"

"If you want, I'd love that."

Good thing the room is only lit by moonlight, so it's harder to see her blush.

"It's comfy, warm, and helps me build magic up... What's not to like. I mean, if you're comfortable with it."

"Of course!"

She'll double check the door lock, then start walking bedward.

Weiss will - make sure all the candles are well out and gather them up, first, and then do the same. She'll close her eyes or avert them, since Selena is still kind of shy.

That is... appreciated, given the givens.

She'll undress quickly and get into bed.

"All done."

"Mhm." She yawns. "...Thank you for showing me that. It was interesting... And it's nice to know there are more good gods out there."

"Thank you for not treating me like a demon just because I look upon a different Goddess. For being someone I can feel safe around."

Tailsnuggle?

Her tail is available for snuggle.

"Hey, there's nine where I come from - including a different moon - and they seem like good guys, so what's one more?"

"Oooooh, tell me about your moon!"

"Mmh... She's called the fox goddess's wife, but I think that's a metaphor? Her name is Isara. She's not really as active as some of the others... I would say she's most centrally about the seasons? You pray to her for a bountiful summer, or a mild winter. Also crop rotation... And things coming to a close? Like, paying back a debt? And... Funerals."

"Wvvell, I thiiink youra fox go..."

She's soundly asleep, holding the tail between her arms and legs.

Aww, cute.

Off to dreamland again, feeling the slow trickle of power from the comfy snuggling. It's different than the moonlight, but no less pleasant.

"Good morning! I think I fell asleep while you were trying to explain something yesterday. Sorry... it's just that your tail is, So, Comfortable!"

"It iiiiis, isn't it? Hugging my sisters' tails is the best way to sleep. And um... I kind of remember we were talking, too, but not what it was about. The moon, maybe? ...Lost to the dream."

"Eeeeh, it's probably not important. I'm going to grab some herbs from the garden. Any preference for breakfast?"

"Apples!" Tail wag. "Do you think I could wander around town a bit without alarming everyone?"

"Well, the tail and ears would be somewhat conspicuous. But I know you can hide them, it should be fine I guess? I can also come with me, people will be way less wary of a foreigner if she's with someone they know."

"Hopefully the eensy little curse behaves and just makes my eyes a little deniably funny or something. Or gives me a tattoo, I can usually make it a tattoo."

"That's probably fine." She'll discreetly roll out of bed and put on some clothes.

"Be right back. There are some apples in the green glass bowl in the kitchen, just grab as many as you wish."

"Thank you!" She'll have to help out in her own way later, no sense just mooching on hospitality.

When she comes in again after a few minutes she doesn't say a word but just starts preparing herself breakfast.

Lounging mode switches off immediately.

"Something is wrong." It's not a question.

"I fixed it, it's not a problem."

"Mmmmhmmmm. You're whelmed. Bothered."

"I'm fine. I'm not giving them the satisfaction of bothering me."

She doesn't really look unbothered. At all.

"So, the thing is, I'm not unsympathetic to 'I don't want to make a big deal out of it', and 'I don't want to give them the satisfaction', but. -Well I really don't want to tell you your approach is invalid but this is the anthem of the meek and vulnerable. Being mad is valid if there are things to be mad about, anger exists for reasons, and is not always a weakness. I don't like to get super involved in - politics and justice and stuff - but I will do so because sitting and taking it tells them, whoever they are, that they can get away with it."

"Well, I am weak, is the fact. The village is already barely tolerating me as is, I can't afford to antagonize anyone."

"There are some good people, to be clear. You've met the butcher, he's not very friendly but has never treated me any differently than everyone else."

"And... it's not a big deal, probably some kids on a dare, it's just a small reminder that I'm different, and alien."

"If it's just 'some kids', doing it 'on a dare', what they're going to learn is that they can fuck with people and get away with it, if they're an acceptable target. I don't even know what they did- Graffiti? But if I... I'm not going to hurt anyone, but if something is visibly not impressed, maybe instead they'll learn to be polite. Also I really want to. Petty revenge is a wonderful feeling."

Would Weiss do that for her?

Not that she condones revenge but... the feeling of someone validating her feelings feels... warm.

"...And also... Back home, kitsunes aren't universally trusted or welcome either. For good reason, sometimes, plenty of us are nice but some are also real monsters, and we can be very, uh, disruptive. Some kitsunes are real bitches, I don't deny that. So, it's not unreasonable for people to be wary. But... It sucks. People kicking you out for what you are, or too afraid of some  possible vengeance to say anything, or... I know what that feels like. If you're really trying to avoid getting that reputation, or whatever, as too scary to mess with, as dangerous and unpredictable, I'll listen and forget it. Also hug you about it. Because people shouldn't feel like they're unwelcome, like they can't exist in society. People deserve to feel safe and peaceful, and this place has some of that precious peace..."

"There is... a reason why I can't exist in society."

"It's not the magic."

Weiss rubs her face, and then tugs gently on her own ears. She shakes her tail vigorously, poofing it up a bit.

"-Sorry, I got a bit worked up there. Haah... Well. Societies do that kind of thing sometimes. I won't pry if you don't want to share. I'll listen if you do. D'you want a hug about it?"

"Yes."

Hug?

Hug. Unhesitating and skin-contact-seeking and tail-including.

"I..."

She can't. The words are not coming out. She's scared hopeful scared alone scared warm scared hug.

Hug.

Breathe in.

[1... 2... 3... 4... 5...]

Breathe out.

"There is something I've never told anyone. Well, She knows, of course, but. I'm scared. I feel like I can trust you but I'm scared."

"Mmm..."

"I feel... Sympathetically scared, I guess. If you know what I mean. There are things that are so - crushingly heavy - you can hardly do anything but work around them. Maybe, in time, learn to complain about it bitterly at every turn instead of ignoring it, like my deadbeat dad who deserves to rot in prison for what he made Mom go through... Er..."

"-I always want to ask people when they have trouble, do you want advice or do you want to complain. So. Do you want me to tell you to get it over with, or tell you that it's okay to not?"

"I... think you deserve to know the truth."

She'll slowly disentangle herself from the hug, it would be... wrong. Everything is wrong.

"I..."

"I'm not a woman. I'm sorry if I lied to you but I can't tell people or they will know what I am. And."

"Oh god, we slept together, I should have slept on the floor what was I thinking. I'm a horrible person."

She is not going to release the hug or let Selena pull away unless she really wants to-

-??? Okay, fine, hug released ???-

"I notice that I am confused. I don't think you've done anything wrong? You are pretty clearly a woman, from what I see? Or else you'd cut your hair and bind your breasts and wear pants?"

Why would she cut her hair and bind her chest??? Then everyone would know that...

"I... am only half woman. The top half."

"-Oh. Yeah no that's fine, that happens. Usually it's really hard to do anything good about it? It looks like you've done wonders with your face and uh. Body. Already. Like, damn, girl, that's sure a figure."

God, why is she - is she feeling horny about that? Apparently yes?? She's remembering the Red Dream, but with Selena in place of-

Lots of other kitsunes have teased her and messed with her before! Even used Charm on her! But it hits different when it's also hitting her stupid heady exciting Red Dream feelings!

(She shifts her hips slightly.) Mutters, "Bonk. Away foul thoughts!"

"Yeah, people do-" HRT? "-Potions about it, or shapeshifting magic if they're a kitsune. Some of them go around with girl shape and guy bits habitually."

"What do you mean that happens??? I'm wrong, I should have just accepted being a man and instead I asked Her to make me a girl and now I'm... split in half and..."

She holds her chest. "And I wanted these, I regret nothing, I am grateful to Her for her help but I feel like a liar every day, if people knew I wouldn't..."

"Potions? Do you know how to make a potion to fix me?"

"Why would they have a girl shape but keep the... thing? Wait, are you... shapeshifting?"

"Uh!"

Holy shit this is hitting Selena a lot harder than Weiss appreciated on a gut level she has to be less flippant.

"-I'm sorry. I don't have a potion to take away your penis and give you a vagina, if that is, being clear, what you're asking for. I mean... There are legends, but... Uh. About... Four out of five kitsunes have some sort of shapeshifting, as distinct from illusions which aren't quite the same even if they are for most purposes if you're good enough at them aaaand that's a sidetrack."

Pause.

"What I meant when I said 'that happens' is 'people feel that the body they were born with is wrong' is a - thing. That happens to many people. Not like, all of them, but... At least one in a hundred, I think, at least a little bit? If you wanted your breasts, and you got them, that's great and I'm happy for you!"

"I just... want to be a woman."

"Oh. I... I thought I was a freak, does it really happen to other people? I've never seen someone else like me."

"Boobs are great, though. I've always thought it and now that I have my own I'm even more convinced."

She cups them. She finds their weight... grounding.

She giggles. And maybe looks a little bit.

"I can't really deny it. I wish mine were bigger sometimes! And... Uh, if the average person that happens to you feels like you, maybe they wouldn't announce it to the heavens, right? So you wouldn't have heard."

"Remind me to tell you the story of the wise man and the boobs later."

"That... makes sense. I at least got the opportunity to have these," - jiggle - "imagine feeling your body is wrong and not being able to do anything about it."

"I wish I could find more people like me, help them. But yeah, they're probably not telling anyone, and it would be too dangerous to be public about... my lower half."

"Yeah... The world is stuck in all these - equilibriums of people holding to rules that hurt sometimes, because going against them when everyone else doesn't would be worse- You have to change them very very slowly, or get everyone to do it all at once and that never happens. It's extremely valid to not want to be the nail that sticks out and gets hammered down."

She hugs her own tail, since she wants to hug something and isn't sure if Selena is up for that again.

"Yeah..."

"Tonight you can have the bed, I... actually feel bad about having slept with you without telling you the truth."

"-Uh. Mm. Yeah. It does kind of, imply, things. I mean. I wouldn't... Necessarily mind... It's just, it'd be a little weird because, I'm finding the image of, I mean, kitsunes are kind of wired to- Murrrr."

"I might end up groping you in the middle of the night or something because now that you've told me this it's making me really horny and I want to touch you but I'm making it weird and I'm sorry too."

"Why would you want to touch me? I'm..."

Well. Not wrong apparently, not alone but still...

"Weird."

"L-Look, people are weird sometimes! And it's okay to be weird! It means unusual, not bad. You're nice. You're calm. That outweighs what you've got in between your legs I think. Well... My hindbrain does kiiiind of consider it a nice bonus. Gods. This is such a conversation."

A bonus? Why would it be a...

Oh.

Her face flushes and she looks at the floor.

"I think you're cute."

"Can I pet your ears? I would like to hug you but, uh..."

They perk up at this thought.

"You may pet my ears... I-If I can touch your boobs later? Some time?"

"No no forget that why did I say that augh."

"Actually, I would love you touching my boobs. You can touch them now if you want..."

She will... Do that... Then?

Raise hands, tentatively at first, and then making a grabby motion and-

Soft. Squish squish. Heeeeee. It's like her brain now sees Selena as a valid target and is generating so many happy feelings about it.

She thinks she knows what feels good for breasts... And she wants to see faces...

She will - squish them together gently and lick her lips at the sight of the cleavage. Gentle gentle squeeze. And look up at her face to make sure she's enjoying it and see the cute expressions.

She's making all kinds of faces. The blush has extended to the top of her chest, an she looks like she's enjoying this. Her skirt is made of heavy fabric, and doesn't allow Weiss to notice how much she's enjoying being touched.

It feels... warm. On the one hand there is the pressure, the sensation that her boobs are giving her, but what's even deeper than that is the feeling of being wanted, knowing that someone else find her attractive.

She touches Weiss's ears, with a single finger trailing from the tip of the ear down to her hair.

Her ears, right in the fluffiest bits, are startlingly sensitive. And yet this feels like it's not nearly enough. She shivers slightly. She's distracted from actively groping.

"You could be - firmer there."

Selena grabs the ear with her full hand, then tries gradually applying some pressure towards the tip, grabbing it between her thumb and index.

"Mmmmhr..."

Selena can feel it twitching slightly under her hand. The touch sends tingles all down her spine. Her hands grip a bit tighter in response.

Oooooh. The face she's making is. Gods.

She wants to... uh. She has no clue what to do now. She asked to pet Weiss's ears and she's doing it, she gave her permission to touch her boobs and now... she's a bit stuck.

Oh gods, this is so awkward, what was she thinking!

She's going to let her arm fall to her side and just. Uh. Stay there appreciating her boobs being touched?

-Weiss blinks, then drops her hands too. Kiss her. No, Selena might not want that! Kiss her down th-

"Oh no I, I made it weird, didn't I... Instead of just cuddly it's- It's weird now."

"No, no it's my fault I... didn't know what to do, you didn't make it weird, I'm the weird one!"

"Hug?"

"....Mlergh. Blarf. Ignli. Words hard right now."

Hug.

She'll hug her awkwardly, slightly angled, for... reasons.

"What you did, it was nice. Not weird. I just... don't know what to do. I've never done anything like this before."

Yeah, similar angling is going on from her end.

"I mean, I have, I guess, theoretical knowledge from my sisters gossiping and also not being super private but, trying to actually do it is just-! Uh, maybe we should both - take a walk, calm down, talk about it more clearheadedly later?"

"I would love a walk, actually. I can show you the waterfalls! Well, we call them that but it's just a tiny fall. It's a pretty place though, if you want to go."

She had kinda meant - alone? But that works fine.

"Not every place can be grand. It'd be boring that way anyway, so maybe these ones are cute."

"It is cute! I've occasionally done my night ritual there when it's particularly hot. There is a small lake that's just pleasant during summer."

"How bucolic. Perfect place for a nap?"

"There used to be a mill here. I don't know why it was abandoned, but I guess I'm happy that this place is now quiet and nature has begun to reclaim it."

"Might have just been an inconvenient location for commerce. Might have been something else entirely. But it's good to have natural places on top of the built ones. Sometimes I think people on Tirra are going to replace everything with farms, mills, towns, farms, mines, carefully managed forests for wood, and more farms."

"That would be such a loss, it's nice to have wild places, it keeps us... grounded."

Are they not going to talk about what happened? On the one hand she kinda wants to talk about it, but at the same time she would rather talk about Anything Else. It's so. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.

"Mmh... It all comes down to balance in the end, you know? Well, there's a lot of perspectives on what makes people peopley, and- On one level, we're built to see, to experience, to understand the world. The mental tools that help someone with no tools more complicated than a sharp rock deal with the world. Helping each other, and finding joy in that because joy makes us do it more, and people helping each other don't starve as often. Paying attention to nature, because it can provide, and thusly finding it beautiful so we do it, and survive. And fear and anger too have their roots in - survival, in passing on the line to children. But that's such a cold way of thinking of it? Even if the reason we see beauty, or feel alone or afraid, or form communities, is - known, is picked apart like that, we still do those things, we still have those experiences. They matter."

She flomps onto her side near the spring and appreciates the little pool.

"It's a nice place."

"It iiiiiis, I love the sound of water, and birds and..."

She's suddenly quiet.

"We should probably talk... about... things..."

Why is it so hard? Weiss is so easy to talk to, the only person that she's ever felt was similar to her, and yet the idea of talking about... the thing... fills her with dread.

"Yeah."

Deep breath.

"I'm afraid of... Of wanting to touch you for the wrong reasons? Because of how you- Are. And not who you are. I think that would be hurtful to you, and wrong. Also I'm thinking a lot about... Touching people... I touch my sister kitsunes sometimes and that was okay because it was - definitely not sex? I wasn't interested in them that way? So it could just be a hug, or tail-brushing, nothing more, don't need to think or worry about it. I- Kitsunes do this thing, it's... Ohhhh I can't say that part."

"I... honestly I didn't expect anyone to ever want to touch me that way at all. Exactly because of how I am. I think there's still a part of me surprised you haven't run away in disgust."

"I expected to simply die alone and... untouched."

"There's parts of me I like, you've... experienced them." Blushing smile. "And I like how my mind works, I like my connection the Her, I like being open to new things and being curious, I care about everyone, and I think that's a good way to live."

"But then there's the other half, the reason why I've never even tried getting to know a woman. I mean, not that they would even be interested in me, I'm weird for liking women, I guess it's because I was born... like this."

"That's sad. I mean... The monogamy and marriage thing is - it's preventing worse stuff. Women with babies and nobody to help, who then both starve. But that doesn't mean it doesn't do any hurt in the meantime, you know? And it doesn't leave much room for exceptions to the rule. I - have memories of - a place of incredible plenty - that was slowly learning to be more relaxed about it. I think there are places like that somewhere in the world now, probably, but it's all- The social machine we have that makes everyone work together on a large scale crushes some of the outliers in its gears. Sometimes that's slaves. Sometimes that's heretics. Sometimes that's people with different skin color. Sometimes that's women with male parts, or women who want other women, or men who want men, or men with woman parts. I want to hug you."

Men liking men, now that's a weird thought. But then again, she's never even understood women liking men, so what does she know?

She stares at the sky, taking in the colors and the sounds and the sound of Weiss's voice.

"I'd love a hug." She rolls over to face Weiss, and opens her arms.

Weiss also rolls, using her tail for balance in the motion.

Hug!

"...I do, think, I want, to touch you that way. Thinking about it makes me feel - hungry, like it would be fun. It's just. It's also buried among all sorts of other things that are making me hesitate. Only one of which I've mentioned aloud."

The word hungry plucks her like the string of a lute. An image of Weiss in her fox shape, standing on top of her and biting her shoulder, pinning her down... gods...

"I... really liked you touching me. I think you're beautiful, and I'm curious, I want to... explore you. But it's also so weird, the idea that someone could would something like that with me."

"Do you want to talk about the other things that make you hesitate? I don't want you to do something you'll regret. As much as my body wants... everything, my heart wants your happiness more."

"Kitsunes don't get old. Humans do, and eventually go back to the Great Wheel of Reincarnation. If I get - attached to you - I'm going to have to go fucking fix that."

"Oh."

"You could avoid getting attached." Yeah, no, not a chance. Selena is getting attached, she can feel that.

"Must be hard, seeing the generations pass as you do not." Hug hug hug. "I hope my soul will go to Her, when my path is complete."

Weiss suddenly ducks out of the hug and spins, standing up and pacing.

"On Tirra... As best I understand it, the Light Gods take departed souls, and wipe them clean of what they experienced in the world, and return them to new births. They're still - the same person, in a way, the same predispositions and overall personality, but then they experience a whole new childhood. A whole new memory. A whole new set of lessons and hurts. They can end up very different than before. Maybe you lived before and were in a female-shaped body to begin with, then. Would you even recognize yourself?"

"No memory, no history... are you even the same person? My past has shaped me, I don't think I would meaningfully be the same person if I was born in a different body? I wouldn't have run away, for once..."

"Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. I'm - I'm spiraling into an old and unhelpful thought pattern here, Selena. I can bitch about it for a while or you can try to distract me."

No, no, no. Not that kind of distraction. Mind out of the gutter!

"Would you like to hear a story?"

She's still pacing. Step step step step step step step step swish, turning around with a wave of the tail.

"I- Maybe, but, this is the kind of thing that constitutes getting to know me and the mood is already heavy so I kind of want to get it over with so I'm gonna go ahead and rant and then story. Okay? Okay."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I have been accused - correctly - of having a guilt complex. I feel guilty when I probably oughtn't. But I say to them: Nyeh! Feelings don't go away because they ought to!"

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"So here I fookin' am, sitting by the pool and whining about my feelings when I am one of the most powerful goddamn entities on Tirra and can save half a dozen lives by taking a casual walk through a particularly cursed bit of forest and murdering everything that attacks me. Gods, that sounds like a good stress-reliever right now though. Waah! I'm too powerful, it sucks!" She snorts loudly.

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I know things. That could help people a lot if they worked out just right. Vaguely. Very vaguely. I might be able to inspire people to - do better, to build things, to learn peace and love and justice. There's a million things I can do that would be so very boring and tiring and would help people I have never and will never meet so very much."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I can't live like that, constantly thinking about the most optimal action to help people, or save people, or build things, or whatever. I tried for a while. I fucked up, started doing stupid things that felt like the right decision at the time."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"That if I could just - steal this important artifact, or attack this corrupt noble, or make a passionate speech to the crowd, that's a small evil for a greater good and everything would be better. That I knew better. That I had a duty to prove myself, to help people, to keep them safe, to stand up against corrupt justice, to fight people who try to step on the little guys."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I didn't notice how crazy I was getting. I was aggressive, erratic. I'd lash out and threaten people as a normal thing, just if they were mildly annoying or even if they had a perfectly good reason to suspect me of something."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I'd get back at them in petty ways that didn't help anyone and think of it as a little dose of justice. Heck, maybe I was earlier when I wanted to go poke whoever upset you this morning! Gosh I'm glad I didn't now!"

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"When I was done swooping in and being a big damn hero, the people who I 'helped' sometimes weren't feeling very helped at all. They still had to deal with the corrupt official I embarrassed after I left, I didn't."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I got a rather passionate complaint about it from someone once, you know? So I decided to stop messing with towns, and governments, for the most part, because poking holes in those usually makes something a lot worse."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"I went to the borderlands, the cursed lands, where there isn't so much civilization and rules. I fought monsters. I warned people away from danger. I ran through the wilderness doing my best to single-handedly save everyone on an entire continent."

Step step step step step step step step swish.

"And I was stressed and overwhelmed and kind of miserable and eventually I just - stopped. Doing things. Any things that I didn't absolutely have to do. For a long time. Eventually I figured out how to not implode at the thought of not spending every second of every day helping people but it comes up again sometimes and I hate it and there I'm done."

She sits down on a rock heavily, arms crossed. And siiiiiiiighs.

She gets up and puts her hands on Weiss's shoulders. If she seems to accept the touch she'll start to slowly massage them.

"My mom used to say that you can't pour water out of an empty container."

Sigh.

"I think she would have liked you. But maybe it's just wishful thinking."

...She will be patted. Sure.

"Yeah. I've heard lots of variations of that one. You can't get blood from a stone. Maybe she would have. I think most people can like most people. It's just... I do like being able to vanish into nowhere and stop being important for a while. So I can do things like - give butchers weird animals to see their face, or eat apple pie and play chess, or sit by a nice little pond and just..."

She leans to press her head more against Selena.

"...Exist."

"Let's."

Selena keeps slowly massaging her shoulders, trying to undo knots, tension, soothe.

There is no need to talk now, existing is nice.

Tail curls gently around her legs and slowly rubs in time with the shoulder massage. Weiss's breathing steadily slows and evens.

She'll keep going for a minute or two more, until her thumbs start to hurt a bit.

She'll slow down and slowly stop, then kiss the top of her head, and hug her from behind.

Weiss does her best to forget she's doing anything more complicated than relaxing with another kitsune in the woods, somewhere. Push it all away. None of it matters. Sluggish thoughts of duty and helping others... Down, down, away.

A little massage, and a babbling falls. Let it flow. Her mind goes back to memories of the Spirit World shrines, where you can just sleep for the longest time, and nothing will change, nothing is waiting on you... Her mental image of Selena swims and merges with other kitsunes, not the laviscious sort, but the slow comforting sorts, more cuddles and thoughtfulness... She'd look a bit like Megi with some nice ears...

Swimming in the lake up at Isumi's place was so fun. This place is a lot smaller but she thinks she'll go for a little dip right now...

When the massage ends, Weiss does a couple of huge, huge stretches, nearly doubling over and twisting around with a happy little grunt... And then summarily whips off all her clothes and leaps into the center of the pool with a forward somersault, shouting, "Whee!"

Did she just???

She could see everything!!! That's such a pretty... flower.

Well, she sure can't join Weiss now. She would... uh. Notice her reaction.

Weiss hangs out under the shallow pool for a bit, luxuriating in the chill, and the floatiness, and the pressure.

When she comes back up with a splash, she's laughing.

She sees Selena, blinks in confusion, and then covers herself with her tail.

"Oh shit, I forgot you aren't a kitsune again!"

"I..."

"Uh..."

"Iwasn'tcomplaining."

She's blushing so hard.

Murrrr...

Okay, you know what, if the hunger and mischievous urge inside her want to ... tease her ... why not? Why shouldn't she tease the woman whose reactions are cute? It's kind of embarrassing but also exciting, so...

Note: A sex scene pretty much begins here. With an important character-developmenty bit. I'll link to the far end of it when it's done.

"Okay. Then I'm not complaining either."

Weiss... Starts to dance in the shallow water.

Somehow, her tail sways and twists as she moves, always just covering the most sensitive lower bits. If Selena was looking at a different angle, she might be able to see the 'flower' again. Some upper bits might be revealed a bit more often, but her arms (and convenient floating fluff or sprays of water as illusions) will also keep those to brief glances...

She's kind of improvising. But. But. Hopefully the 'dance' is having an effect?

She can't keep her eyes off Weiss, and she's not even trying to disguise how the dance is making her feel. She's biting her lip, and wishing for more, one more glance, trying hard to see between the mist.

She has both her hands in her lap, trying to disguise the way her body is reacting to this.

She can't say a word, just breathe and drink in the sight.

Heeeeee. Oh. Oh this feels so great, somehow. Am excited warm thrill in her core, and her heart beating fast. Is this what her sisters feel like when they talk about seducing a guy??? No wonder they do it so much.

"I bet you could see more if you were closer."

Sway, hip-check, twirl, sway...

She would, wouldn't she?

She slowly gets up, surreptitiously adjusting her dress. She fully expects Weiss to know what's... going on, but. Habits.

She takes a small step, then a more confident one, at the rhythm of Weiss's hips. Closer, closer, she wants to see, to know every inch of her.

She gets to the edge of the water and stops there.

Is this angle better? It seems like it. Her tail reveals more of the line of her thighs and the muscles of her lower belly than before.

(It's such a thrill, watching Selena be obviously enraptured. Maybe she can convince her out of her clothes, just with words? WHERE IS THIS CONFIDENCE AND ENERGY COMING FROM AAAA but she loves it!)

"You know, if you grabbed my tail, I couldn't cover myself with it? You might have to take something off so it doesn't get wet. I wouldn't mind, I'd enjoy seeing you too~"

She blows a kiss.

"I can't, I... then you'd see my... I am..."

"Can you help me?"

-She stops moving.

"I can help you. I... I want to see it. I want to see what effect I had on you, I'd enjoy that. But only if you're okay with it. It's fun to, uh, tempt you, though."

"Yes I..." breathe in, breathe out, "I am okay with it. I want this, but I can't..."

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"The reason why I'm asking you to do it is because I can't make myself believe that you really want to see me, when I'm half..." breathe in, breathe out, "and I think that seeing you undress me, feeling your touch, I couldn't doubt your actions."