Foxside: The Temple of Inari 54 - Ten Years of Foxes

[Fenric]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick grins

That's what I was wondering myself! You seem unhappy, which is a shame at a party. What's wrong?

[Cyber Punk]

[Zack's Room]
‎
Jinkei smiles. "Well, it's at least a few millennia less for us, though lesser nature beings who are chosen to ascend instead of being subsumed and rebirthed live for far longer." And then she blushes. "Yet I'm only 62. If I'm going to have kids so soon, my ascendance will come earlier, and with it added responsibility." Not that she isn't looking forward to it, but it might require being away from her family for months at a time... at least from her point-of-view.‎
‎
They might be curious about what she means by 'ascendance', though.‎

She smiles again and nods, then moves to take Nie'Riel's hands in hers. "Dear Riel, let us focus on the moment. How do we share our love-of-three?"‎

[Fenric]

[Zack's Room]

Well, since you two are already a couple, we start by...

Zacks eyes go go wide as Nie'Riel's dress drops to the floor, followed swiftly by the curtain.

[Zefir]

[Full Moon Party]

He looks down at the young kistune? At least he think that's what he is talking to.

"Just got a bad year and the talk befor brought me down to it."

[Cyber Punk]

[Zack's Room]

Jinkei smiles sensually as the curtain drops. There, the three explore their feelings for one another rather intimately, and they say time passes when you're having fun.

After the curta‎in, Jinkei untangles herself from the group so well tangled and‎ begins to get dressed. "Father must be worried sick. I will return, and then we'll talk of a more permanent arrangement." She'll smile and kiss them each on the lips before scurrying away to the

[Apartment no Yarafuji]

"Father?"‎

[The Alexandrian]

[A Priestess, a Magician, a Gardener, a Goddess, a Messenger, and a Spectator]

And wake up she does. The skittish mage's glowing eyes flutter open. She props herself up on her elbows, wondering what possessed her to lie flat on her back on the ground, who these foxy (by definition) people are, and where she is relative to...things.

The dazed vixen, who doesn't just appear to be quite out of it, looks up at Katrina, gives Myobi and Caroline a sidelong glance, and, last but by no means least, fixes her eyes squarely on Tamamo. Her puzzlement is only compounded by Tamamo's semi-threatening presence and her affinity for shadows. She gives Tamamo a once over, her gaze lingering on Tamamo's eyes, tail, and bust, in that order. There's something veeery familiar about Tamamo - something that Morgana can't quite put her finger on.

For Morgana's sake, I hope that openly ogling a goddess isn't considered a capital offense.

Like all good things in life, Morgana's blissful ignorance doesn't last long, and when reality finally catches up with her, it wallops her on the back of the head with a metal club. An exotic blend of embarrassment and dread overcomes her. Speechlessly, Morgana dithers, waiting to see how this plays out before she reacts to anything (and gets herself killed).

And she's not the only one adhering to this plan, evidently. Once Morgana identifies Tamamo, Tamamo, Myobi, Caroline, and Katrina may get the feeling that their actions are being monitored from afar by a mysterious guardian of some sort.

[Fenric]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick is a sand fox, based on the fennec

Sorry to hear that. Um...

do you like lentils? We made a special treat for the party this month!

he turns to the table and gets a small bowl of spicy round chickpeas

Channa masala! Great for driving the cold away!

---

[Apartment no Yarafuji]

Katsuo is here, naturally, and looks quite relieved when Jinkei returns

Ah, my daughter. I was becoming concerned. There are rumors you were taken to the hospital, and I was beginning... to... wonder...

Well, her scent doesn't really leave much guesswork

Oh my...

---

[Too many people]

Tamamo sighs

Ok... Myobi, why don't you take Caroline somewhere to calm down: I don't think she's in any condition to help anymore.

The white furred vixen nods her agreement, and leads the distraught head priestess away. She turns to Katrina

And you might as well get started on your search. I do believe the trees can wait.

Katrina nods and scurries away, leaving just Tamamo and Morgana. She smiles. If she is offended, she certainly doesn't show it. Nor does she immediately acknowledge being monitored.

We seem to be doing an admirable job of distressing you, Lady Morgana. But perhaps we can start to remedy that, now.

As you may or may not know: I am Princess Tamamo no Mae, Goddess of the Shadow Vulpans, eldest of the Ninetails, daughter of the eight-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi and the sorceress Chiyoko no Mae. I am subordinate to her Serene Holiness Inari Omi-Kami, goddess of rice and creator of all fox kind.

she smiles

Though perhaps that claim might be a trifle stretched when you consider the tremendous variety here in the Nexus.

Nevertheless, this is the headquarters of Inari's presence in this universe, and as such gets rather more personal attention than most facilities normally would.

Welcome, and be at peace.

[Cyber Punk]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

"I knew you would be, so I promised myself I'd return tonight. It's been a long day..." Jinkei flops on her bed and exhales, momentarily failing to stifle her giggle at Katsuo's reaction.

"I've learnt about Nexus auto-translation, almost coerced someone to do something she didn't want, got visited by my best friend, found out that I need kits to bring my hormone levels to a manageable level, promised to be loyal to Zack alone and now, I have Nie'Riel as a sister wife. As I said, long day."

Then she gets on her knees and bows her head. "You must be ashamed of my actions. I'm just lucky that Nie'Riel didn't run screaming. Gomen nasai, father."

Oh, that's right! A test to see how he'd react to Japanese speaking. Will he tilt his head and wonder what the hell that means?‎

[Fenric]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

Katsuo smiles

Ki ni shinai de kudasai, dearest daughter.

The only real difference between the Nogitsune and the Kitsune is that they do such things without a qualm. You recognized that your impulse was not proper, and took steps to handle it. And in the end, you were not only forgiven, but welcomed into a family: a Kitsune you remain, and hopefully a wiser one for your trials.

He smiles somewhat sadly

Ah, my daughter... so recently found, so soon lost... But I know them both, and they are good people: I am happy for you all.

[Recaiden]

[Too many people]

Though perhaps that claim might be a trifle stretched when you consider the tremendous variety here in the Nexus.

Somewhere in the Hunting Grounds, a fox feels like it's being talked about.

[Cyber Punk]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

Jinkei tilts her head for a moment, then smiles, nods and gets up to hug her father. "‎Þakka þér fyrir, father." A pause. ‎"It means 'thank you' in Icelandic. My Japanese is atrocious." She mutters, her cheeks reddening.‎
‎
Then back to matters at hand!

"Don't be sad, father. I'll still be yours, forever. Besides, soon you'll have bouncing grandkits, and they'll love you so much..."

She pulls back (when Katsuo's ready to let go :p) and flops back on the bed, pulling out her ball and staring at it. "It's just like yesterday when a certain stunningly handsome man decided to make a shy little girl his daughter. For the longest time, I fantasized about what might have been had you chosen the other option. It all worked out for the best in the end, though."

Then her eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. Why's the light in her ball seem to be separating into four parts? Weird.

[Zefir]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick is a sand fox, based on the fennec

Sorry to hear that. Um...

do you like lentils? We made a special treat for the party this month!

he turns to the table and gets a small bowl of spicy round chickpeas

Channa masala! Great for driving the cold away!

[Full Moon Party]

The man starts raising his hand, but stops immediatly. This guy just wants to be nice. Can't just deny him? He thinks.
He takes his plate and puts a few on it. The plate is still half full with other stuff.

"Thank you, but I don't think eating will solve my problems."

[Fenric]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick sets the bowl back down

Well... I can understand being unhappy... my lentil plants all turned brown and shriveled up, but Miss Katrina said that was normal for the winter. Still, it was really hard to see them all die away after we worked so hard on them all summer. Back home, I had a lentil bush that was three years old!

Wait... that isn't going to cheer anybody up! Kitnick tries changing the subject again.

And what do you think of all the snow? This is the first time I've ever seen it: I grew up in a desert! Does it always snow this much? At the rate it's coming down, it'll be as tall as me by tomorrow morning. It's so pretty and white, and the kids make snowpeople and I saw some of the priests making balls out of it and throwing them at each other. That looked fun!

---

Apartment no Yarafuji

Katsuo smiles and nods

That is a pleasant thought... not something I thought fate had in store for me, to be honest.

he shakes his head

It is just as well, dearest daughter. Indeed you caught my eye, the first of your gender to do so in a great many years, but it would not have worked out well... I am not one for such familial matters.

[Cyber Punk]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

Jinkei turns away from the phemomenon occurring in her ball, smiles and shakes her head. "I'll assume that means you're bisexual, like I? I could set you up with a few friends of mine. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't attempt to help?"

She winks with a grin. "Or, perhaps a father-less friend of mine? You have been an awesome dad."‎

[Fenric]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

Katsuo chuckles

I do not care for such labels, but I would say no... overall my tastes lie solidly among males.

and a shake of the head

A I said... I'm not looking for that sort of situation right now, my darling. Should I feel the urge return, I will let you know.

[Zefir]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick sets the bowl back down

Well... I can understand being unhappy... my lentil plants all turned brown and shriveled up, but Miss Katrina said that was normal for the winter. Still, it was really hard to see them all die away after we worked so hard on them all summer. Back home, I had a lentil bush that was three years old!

Wait... that isn't going to cheer anybody up! Kitnick tries changing the subject again.

And what do you think of all the snow? This is the first time I've ever seen it: I grew up in a desert! Does it always snow this much? At the rate it's coming down, it'll be as tall as me by tomorrow morning. It's so pretty and white, and the kids make snowpeople and I saw some of the priests making balls out of it and throwing them at each other. That looked fun!

[Full Moon Party]

"Circle of life." he adds to the plant thing.

"I lived in a big city befor I came here. It didn't snow as much as here and it was different from year to year. In the coldest years it could reach over my shoes back then. That's some normal things. The snow is easy to form and if you don't push it to gather to har, it won't hurt people. Especially when they wear winter clothes."

[Cyber Punk]

[Apartment No Yarafuji]

Jinkei beams. She was the first female he liked in a long while. That makes her head swell a bit. "Yes, father." She says, nodding.

Then she yawns and lies back on the bed. "I love you, father." She sounds somewhat sleepy. Why wouldn't she be, with the day she's had?

As it happens, when Katsuo replies, he'll find that she's fallen asleep, ball in hand, her other hand on her tummy. She mumbles something sleepily about having kits.

[Full Moon Party]

Jinkei arrives! With a small baby bump. With her slim and slender frame, it's obviously not as a result of overindulging on snacks. Her normally pure-white fur (excepting two of her tails) is going gray in parts, what with winter receding.

She's looking around, wondering if she'll bump into her sister-wife Nie'Riel, or one of the other occupants. Maybe even Anchor or Leah?

(Rec's cue)

[Morgana]

A fully-grown fennec fox trots up to both Morgana and Tamamo, then transforms into a humanoid fennec fox, with a form too tall for what one would expect of a small fennec fox.

In other words, the form is much like Jinkei's: tall as a humanoid, small as a fox. I wonder: at 5'9", is she taller than Zack?

Moving on! This fennec fox with large ears (and three rings along each earlobe) and a lean-built physique is wearing a turban and vaguely-arab dressing. He first turns to Tamamo.

"Greetings, honored princess. May you live forever. My name is Saeed Ibn Battuta, a traveller, and the third god-prince of Morroccan Fennekin. I am here to settle a bit, as well as greet Katharina Hawkins, the mother of the skyfoxes." He smiles and nods to himself, looking downward and hushed about. "A title I hear she's finally worthy of." Unfortunately, she's out right now.‎
‎
He snaps up, to look at Morgana. "I am sorry, I could not help but hear your conversation, the ears aren't for show. I think you will find that I am what you're looking for." He looks straight at her as he says this, his gaze never wavering. "There are times I choose to be chaste, and other times I have to indulge a bit more. Let us scratch each other's backs."‎

[Recaiden]

[Full Moon Party]

Jinkei arrives! With a small baby bump. With her slim and slender frame, it's obviously not as a result of overindulging on snacks. Her normally pure-white fur (excepting two of her tails) is going gray in parts, what with winter receding.

She's looking around, wondering if she'll bump into her sister-wife Nie'Riel, or one of the other occupants. Maybe even Anchor or Leah?

Anchor's off on some adventure that leaves not enough time for a celebration. But Leah was and remains here, moving between bits of the conversation, currently lost in thought about travelling through space.

[Fenric]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick nods his agreement, long ears flapping comically

And I saw people making sculptures, and some of the children even built a little house! But what becomes of the snow? There's so very much of it, it must be a pain to clean up. What do people do?
We had a big sand storm once, and it took us weeks to clean it all up.

Caroline belatedly enters from the East entrance and looks around. She nods at Keiko, and smiles at the heavily pregnant Felina scurrying around with the attentive Arlem at her elbow. Guests are sparse tonight, but what do you expect with such a snowstorm raging on? She giggles at seeing Kitnick having buttonholed someone, and gives Leah a smile and a wave, and also to Jinkei.

[Zefir]

[Full Moon Party]

Kitnick nods his agreement, long ears flapping comically

And I saw people making sculptures, and some of the children even built a little house! But what becomes of the snow? There's so very much of it, it must be a pain to clean up. What do people do?
We had a big sand storm once, and it took us weeks to clean it all up.

Caroline belatedly enters from the East entrance and looks around. She nods at Keiko, and smiles at the heavily pregnant Felina scurrying around with the attentive Arlem at her elbow. Guests are sparse tonight, but what do you expect with such a snowstorm raging on? She giggles at seeing Kitnick having buttonholed someone, and gives Leah a smile and a wave, and also to Jinkei.

[Full Moon Party]

Well, the man seem at least not having anything else to do.

"It melts." he says. "That way it's going off by it'self when the weather slowly heads for the spring time. Snow is nothing less then frozen rain. I guess that's why you didn't saw it before."

[Cyber Punk]

[Full Moon Party]

Silly me for not seeing the part about the snowstorm, in that case Jinkei's fur is still as white as ever, maybe even too white, blending her into the snow a bit perfectly.

When she spots Felina, her hands inadvertently go to rub her own tummy; when she sees Kitnick, she beams but keeps away for now. He seems to be engrossed in conversation. Caroline gets a wave, as well as having 'Let's meet later' being mouthed to her.

As she says this, her eyes are more focused on looking for Zack or Riel when BUMP goes she into an NPC. Her sorry is interrupted by her heterochromatic eyes falling on someone so familiar, and she moves forward, trying to remember...

"Miss Leah?" She asks in a bit of surprise when she gets within conversational distance. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere! Funny, Allie didn't remind me of you..."

[Recaiden]

[Full Moon Party]

Leah notes the motion over there and turns to wave.
"Hi Lady Caroline!"

Then there's a voice, vaguely familiar.
"Hello Ch-Ki-hello. It's probably the extra legs." Or the tail flicking back and forth, the hair, the glasses, the figure that Jinkei never really had a chance to see on Anchor, any number of things.
"Doing better with this set of memories, or are there condolences owed?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Full Moon Party]

Jinkei‎ blinks. "It's Katharina. The others are just... let's say 'permutations', language-wise."

She blinks again, tilting her head to one side. "Do we have a problem, Leah?" She asks, her eyes narrowing. "That sounds vaguely unfriendly, after all."‎

[Recaiden]

[Full Moon Party]

Leah chuckles.

"Do you still have a problem, Katharina? I hear you were away for years on the other side, into some foreign land? But last time we met you were, let's say 'quite troubled', obsessing over your old lovers."

She holds out a hand - offering peace, or just disclaiming any responsibility?

"I should hope time helped, but some things, people, don't heal easily."

[Cyber Punk]

[Full Moon Party]

Jinkei wags a finger. "No no, not a foreign land, but my homeland of Sweden. It was a dark chapter in my life, ja. For me it was 40+ years. Allie helped me regain my memories, and I like to think that things have improved."

She takes the proffered hand slowly and uncertainly, her eyes never leaving Leah's. "I know. Indeed, a brutal life lesson: you can't take back what you say, and some actions have far-reaching consequences." She smiles sadly as her gaze becomes distant, thinking of Allie.

"I assume you're mad at me, ja? My apology might not mean much, but I'd still like to offer it."‎

[Recaiden]

[Full Moon Party]

Leah's sunglasses stare back impersonally.

"That would be good, if they have improved."

Gives a shake of the head.

"You aren't worth being angry at. Noted, but no, it does not mean very much. Words are easy; sticking to them is what matters here."

[Cyber Punk]

[Full Moon Party]

Jinkei nods in agreement. She doesn't seem to care for Leah's sentiment, however. Pregnancy hormones or not, that's not a nice thing to say. She realizes whatever respect she had for the woman thing in front of her is rapidly dwindling. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Though, it's me who should be sorry I thought coming to talk to you would be productive. Have a good evening."

Then she walks away to find Caroline and speak to her. Her facial expression doesn't change much, but from her tone, it'd be safe to say it's the last time she'd seek Leah out.

[Recaiden]

[Full Moon Party]

"I'm sorry you haven't changed. Still so much like Rochelle."

Those words of course are aimed, where before she had been answering the statements Jinkei made. Leah smiles - a little thrill of speaking, and a sense of vindication that the kitsune took a mere handful of seconds to go back on the spirit of her apology. Did she expect Leah to disagree and jump to her defense? No, it was all what she had admitted herself.

She takes a few steps away and looks out at the rising snow, feeling lucky.

[Cyber Punk]

[Full Moon Party]‎

That does cause Jinkei to freeze in her tracks. She stays motionless for a few seconds, trying to calm herself to keep from slapping Leah silly. When she partially succeeds, she then turns to Leah and walks up to her, looking miffed.‎

"You really should learn to take your own advice, you sk‎itstövel ." This time, her voice belies her annoyance. "Though, it is the nature of children to be vindictive." She shakes her head, voice containing traces of pity. "I'd expect better from you, but perhaps I expect too much. We can't all be Allie."‎

[Fenric]

[Full Moon Party]‎

Only the softest scrape of scales on wood announces Keiko's adjustment of posture to look angrily at Jinkei. Insulting her step-daughter is a good way to earn the ire of the short-tempered demigoddess.

But Keiko doesn't say anything... Caroline, on the other hand, is a teeny bit cross

Katharina! You are in the sanctuary! Mind your language!