There's a shrine, within the town borders but near the edge of it. There are nine little statues in a garden, and two small closed-off buildings, and an offering bowl.

There's a priestess. She just gives off really priestess vibes, almost glowy, even if her looks don't quite match the locals. The kid presents the letter again, and the priestess reads it. She smiles beatifically. There's a wave of - something - and -

"Of course I can speak to kitsunes! If this little one went through all that effort trying to explain something, it must be important, yes?" (It's still in this language, whatever it is, but somehow she understands it when this woman speaks.)

...She's just going to try intending to say a thing.  While also making noises.  With her face.  ...Kitsune instincts don't fail her now!

"Oh thank goodness you can understand me.  Or at least you can say things and I can understand you.  I don't know if I'm doing this right.  Hi I am apparently a tiny baby kitsune and I am very very lost.  Like 'not even on the same planet maybe' lost.  Like 'does anybody speak English' - er, my native language - 'lost'.  Also I am very confused, because if this isn't my planet, there are too many things that look like they've descended from it.  Tamamo has a precedent from Earth!  The chances of there being two goddesses associated with kitsune that independently arrived at the name...  I mean the one from Japan was called Tamamo-no-Mae, that's something that isn't the same here as far as I have been able to be aware -- But as far as I know Earth didn't have magic!  ...Unless it did and it was just too low-level to be noticed, there have been weird moments of possibly-prophecy in my family line...  Okay so maybe there was magic upon further review but that still doesn't explain how in the heck the cultures line up so easily -

"I'm getting way ahead of myself."

"Erm.  Um.  Introductions?

"I'm not actually sure this is my name but I prodded the thing that feels like it names people in my procedural memory and it spat out 'Alicia Vaudelle'.  ...Which is a bunch of untranslateable sounds, so if I need a name that has actual meaning in the local language for whatever reason I'd like to know now before I go around introducing myself with it?  Assuming that's even going to happen anytime soon.  I know nothing about how this works in practice." 

"No need to wrack your memory so urgently, little one. There's no hurry for you right now. Would you two like to have tea in the shrine?"

(Running Girl decides this is... Acceptable. Even if she can't understand the kitsune.)

"Ancient history is - well, much is lost. But old Tirra came from old Earth, yes, though none now know how to return, and Tamamo is the eldest kitsune, who long ago transcended the barrier between spirit and divinity. She is a goddess, with all that implies. She fought the empire during its awful fall."

"...this is why you don't try to resurrect ancient Rome, for crying out loud, it does that.

"But also, I am absolutely just like this, even if - well.  Just knowing that you know has taken a lot of the bite out of things.

"...Space travel..."

"...I am not going to turn up anything useful from that.  It was never a special interest.  I might be able to name a couple planets - I had pictures of one on my phone background for years - Voyager golden record -  ...no, I don't know where that went.  Or if we could even find it.  And that's presupposing space travel anyway.  And that this isn't another universe anyway.  It could be.  Not like that's not a common enough trope that humans with magic wouldn't try it.  ...Anyway.  Tea would be lovely.  ...actually, - hold on, that might be the wrong kind of tea I'm thinking of anyway - but do you know if the things that are poisonous to dogs are poisonous to kitsune?  I'm guessing it doesn't work like that, I can see reds, but - I'd rather check."

"Kitsunes are blessed in many ways. They heal quickly and wholly, unless ruined utterly, in which case they perish but will reincarnate as a kitsune again. I am quite certain tea will be fine for you."

Running Girl asks a question.

"Oh, that's not quite true. Monsters and curses are more of an accident than something they did intentionally... Or so the legends go."

There is a low fire going in the brick stove inside the little shrine. She stirs it up and sets water to boil in a very decorated iron kettle.

"Thank you, that's good to know."

"...of course it's war crimes!  ...Well.  Accidental war crimes. But those are still probably war crimes!  ...Whose war crimes were they?"

"Maybe I can tell you more when there aren't young ears around, little kit." She smirks and giggles.

...skdgjvkghpjkl,,l;njp;,gvmkk;;;;

...Well!

"...yes, that seems..."

"Yeah."

"Speaking of curses though, there was something near my spawn point that felt like it was pretty cursed.  I...think it was land, and not a monster, and I was not in a hurry to poke it at the time.  But it was like an hour downriver from their," she waves a paw at the runner girl, "town, if on the other side of the river at least.  And I don't think I got that across to them properly when it came up?"

"That would be cursed ground, most likely. It's usually quiescent unless disturbed... Usually. Nobody should approach it- Priestesses like me can purify it with care, time, and attention. I do believe I can be bestirred to investigate." She affects a fancy accent for the last bit.

"I can show you, then.  Um.  Do you know if there's anything I might be able to do that isn't 'run away' if something attacks?"

"Hmm. How old are you?"

(Running Girl asks another question. "No, that's fine." Is the answer.)

"...About a month?  Er.  Thirty days plus or minus a few."

"Ah. I'm definitely going to have to speak to you in private about growing up, then." She purses her lips. "And in that case... Probably not. You can sense it- The best you can do is warn people. If a fox seems truly alarmed people usually take it as monsters coming, and duly prepare."

She just - nods, at that one.

"I mean my prior life probably had that many years to its credit, if that's what you're worried about.  But I'm assuming that's not what matters as far as the kitsune - life cycle - goes."

"Later. Fan, dear, I think the water's about ready, would you mind getting the matcha out from that cabinet over there?"

"Yes, yes," Running Girl replies lazily.

...Then the priestess makes a 'shh' motion with her finger, grins, and flips her hood back. The tassels on her ears wiggle cutely.

And then the hood comes back on, though the smirk remains, and she stands to collect the teapot and cups.

!!!

"...oh, how does it go...thanking Senior Sister for her guidance?  Ssh heard and understood.  If she asks, I've never had matcha before and I'm wondering what it's like.  Which is true, as it happens."

"There's no need to be so worried! Trying new things is fun, and if you don't like it, you don't like it."

And then she is preparing tea via matcha infusion.

"Oh, I'm not worried.  Just consistently and constantly curious."

"I suppose that's better, but you're certainly an energetic one, hmm? Are you tempted to play any pranks~? Maybe Fan can help if so- She's happy to linger a bit if it's 'necessary', to get out of weeding for a little while."

(Fan lets out a little bashful 'hehe...')

"I'm not inclined to be a prankster, that's just kind of mean to people most of the time - not that there aren't those who need to be brought down a peg - but I think I could be 'convinced' to help Fan get away from the weeding for a bit.  And I do need to do something nice for Xia Ren, from Fan's village...  She was.  Kind.  At her own expense.  And even if the expense was a little bit of food and some time..."

"...I feel like I owe her, you know?  Not...  Transactionally, but...  She did something nice when she didn't have to do anything at all."

"Well, fair enough. Hmm... Can you describe miss Xia? I can always give her a blessing- Kindness begets kindness and the whole world grows a bit warmer, that's the goddess of community's way."

Here is some tea. Matcha is essentially green tea, just prepared differently. She has a special low, wide cup for the fox attendee.

She can describe Xia Ren, yes she can!  ...Hopefully!

"...Your goddess sounds lovely.  How does the...gods, thing, work here, by the way...?  There's...  I have my guesses but I have too many guesses."

...lap lap lap at the tea...