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

[Fenric]

Katsuo looks over Genji's fire, nodding

Very good, Genji: nicely stable and mostly round. Now dismiss it and call it again: three times, count fifteen heartbeats between each try.

[deleteman900]

Katsuo looks over Genji's fire, nodding

Very good, Genji: nicely stable and mostly round. Now dismiss it and call it again: three times, count fifteen heartbeats between each try.

Genji was surprised, he hadn't practiced summoning it multiple times in a row! He summoned it the second time just fine, and the third time he struggled a little bit but did get there, looking proud of himself for picking up on it so quickly. There was no way he'd mess up something so incredibly easy in front of the ever-judging eyes of his classmates, let alone Jian and Katsuo!

[Ionbound]

[School]

Alicia is sitting in the middle rows of the classroom and frowns when she hears the teacher's request. This being her first day, she has next to no clue as to how to actually conjure a foxfire, and swallows, debating between asking for help and going along with it, eventually deciding to say nothing and hold out an honest, open, empty palm when it's her turn.

[Fenric]

[School]

Katsuo nods to Genji

Very well done, Genji: you may return to your seat.

The students come up one by one: some do well, some not so well... a few of the younger kits start to cry and are gently led back to their desks by Jian. Finally it comes to Alicia...

Katsuo tilts his head

Oh... hello... I don't believe I recognize you.

Jian turns to look

Oh! It's Alicia! She's the one that... um... Nobu...

Katsuo nods

I see. It's hardly fair to quiz you on a technique you were not yet taught. Did you look over the instructions on the paper, Alicia? Did they make sense to you?

[deleteman900]

[School]

Katsuo nods to Genji

Very well done, Genji: you may return to your seat.

The students come up one by one: some do well, some not so well... a few of the younger kits start to cry and are gently led back to their desks by Jian. Finally it comes to Alicia...

Katsuo tilts his head

Oh... hello... I don't believe I recognize you.

Jian turns to look

Oh! It's Alicia! She's the one that... um... Nobu...

Katsuo nods

I see. It's hardly fair to quiz you on a technique you were not yet taught. Did you look over the instructions on the paper, Alicia? Did they make sense to you?

Genji takes this lull in events as an opportunity to go ahead and quietly encourage a few of the younger kits, trying to help them with the foxfire without being too disruptive.

[Ionbound]

[School]

Alicia smiles grimly at the mention of Nobu and says, "Y-yeah, that's me." She then nods to Katsuo and says, "As for the instructions...I-I had a hard time making sense of them. Um...Yeah. I tried to follow them as best I could, but...Nothing happened." The poor girl looks extremely embarrassed at having to ask for help, and is starting to flush red with everyone looking at her.

[deleteman900]

[School]

Alicia smiles grimly at the mention of Nobu and says, "Y-yeah, that's me." She then nods to Katsuo and says, "As for the instructions...I-I had a hard time making sense of them. Um...Yeah. I tried to follow them as best I could, but...Nothing happened." The poor girl looks extremely embarrassed at having to ask for help, and is starting to flush red with everyone looking at her.

She might notice that Genji is attempting to help some of the really young foxes with their foxfire, and may be able to glean some helpful information if she listens.

[Fenric]

Katsuo nods, and has Jian bring several of the other children who had trouble up to the front as well... and then she comes to collect Genji!

The teacher smiles

Genji, can you demonstrate one more time: and slowly please. Students: pay attention to the feeling of the energy around him. Note how even though you cannot see his focus-ball right now, it still plays an important role.

We are not wizards, commanding foreign energies to do our will. This magic is part of us, and will respond as easily as flexing your fingers once you find the connections - if you are trying, if it takes effort, then you are not on the right path. It should come freely and naturally - even if it is uncoordinated at first.

[deleteman900]

Katsuo nods, and has Jian bring several of the other children who had trouble up to the front as well... and then she comes to collect Genji!

The teacher smiles

Genji, can you demonstrate one more time: and slowly please. Students: pay attention to the feeling of the energy around him. Note how even though you cannot see his focus-ball right now, it still plays an important role.

We are not wizards, commanding foreign energies to do our will. This magic is part of us, and will respond as easily as flexing your fingers once you find the connections - if you are trying, if it takes effort, then you are not on the right path. It should come freely and naturally - even if it is uncoordinated at first.

Genji smiles calmly, knowing this is something he can do. He places his palms together and takes a moment to breathe in and out a couple of times, calming himself. He makes a point of showing the class his lone tail, where a bright puff of ghost-fire forms, starting out clear before slowly tinting red-orange, that apparently being the natural color of his energy. During this whole process his eyes are closed and his thoughts are focused inward, not trusting himself to look at it and not somehow mess it up. One ear tilts towards Katsuo, and the other to Jian, listening in case they have further direction for him.

[Fenric]

Katsuo nods

Very good, Genji.

Alicia, would you like to try again?

[deleteman900]

Katsuo nods

Very good, Genji.

Alicia, would you like to try again?

Genji hums in a pleased fashion, tail flicking contently. It'd be kinda nice to get a compliment from Jian as well, but perhaps if he works harder... ;p

He nearly floats back to his seat on a cloud of happiness, ;p


Later That Day...

Genji reported to the main gate for his scheduled Arboretum chores, wondering who it was that he was supposed to meet. The name didn't sound too familiar...

[Morty]

[Pokemon Center]

Batu waves to Khannie, and goes out to search for Miss Delphie. This is proving to be quite a good day.

[Fenric]

[Main Gate]

Arriving at the gate, Genji will encounter a petite woman with delicate features, light brown hair, and bright green eyes dressed in a set of brown overalls and a tan t-shirt.

She smiles as the young Kitsune approaches

Are you Genji?

---

[Pokémon Shrine]

Batu and company will have little trouble getting directions to the back of the Pokémon gym, where a vastly smaller version of the main shrine has been set up...

Except instead of a Vulpan statue, this altar has a gleaming alabaster Ninetails with two dainty Vulpix messengers. Inside, a Delphox wearing the sky blue with navy trim of a third-ranked priestess is bustling about, currently looking after a damp and rather scruffy looking Jolteon.

[deleteman900]

[Main Gate]

Arriving at the gate, Genji will encounter a petite woman with delicate features, light brown hair, and bright green eyes dressed in a set of brown overalls and a tan t-shirt.

She smiles as the young Kitsune approaches

Are you Genji?

---

[Pokémon Shrine]

Batu and company will have little trouble getting directions to the back of the Pokémon gym, where a vastly smaller version of the main shrine has been set up...

Except instead of a Vulpan statue, this altar has a gleaming alabaster Ninetails with two dainty Vulpix messengers. Inside, a Delphox wearing the sky blue with navy trim of a third-ranked priestess is bustling about, currently looking after a damp and rather scruffy looking Jolteon.

Main Gate

Genji nods, "Indeed I am, Miss. Are you the 'Cienwen' I was instructed to meet in front of the front gate for Arboretum duty?" He asks pleasantly, if a bit formally, he's still somewhat energetic, though given Peng's struggle with the lacquer yesterday, he isn't sure how long that will last.

[Recaiden]

The Hierarch calms visibly

Oh, good... we haven't had enough recruitment to replace the last set of human sacrifices she demanded. Take all the time you need, ladies, and if there is anything at all I can do to make your work easier do please let me know.

Bat-Plum gets a brief glance of fear and newly-minted respect... "Inari" here just doesn't seem to mean quite the same thing as it does back home

This is the temple of Anatar, The Blazing Light: Destroyer and Purifier. He who drinks the moisture of life, bringer of pain and death. His rays burn the skin of the impure, and his light defeats the darkness. To gaze on his visage is to be blinded and ignore his power is to die.

Bat-Plum nods. "Yeah, I know. Burning, scorching, laying secrets bare. I've seen that happen. Eyes just pop open and-well, does the rest of the light have its own temple?"

She puts a hand to her chin, thoughtful. Human sacrifices. And this ought to be the same Inari, in some distant way. Just the division you don't want to work for, she guesses.

"There isn't a 'rest of the light'." How preposterous.

"Get us some mirrors, -" "-different shapes and sizes, if you can." "The point corresponding to the likely epicenter should be slightly above the temple and to the north; what would I find there?"

[Morty]

[Pokémon Shrine]

Batu clears his throat.

"Um, ma'am? We were told to come here if we had questions about Pokemon."

[Fenric]

[Main Gate]

The woman nods

That's right: I'm Cienwen. No offense, but there's a bunch of stuff people always ask so I like to get it out of the way right off: Yes, I'm a dryad. Yes, my tree is on the temple grounds. No, I won't show it to you. No, I'm not ten years old. No, I won't tell you how old I am. Single, not looking. Sorry if none of those thoughts had even remotely crossed your mind.

She smiles

Now: for what you're going to be doing the rest of the day. This pine grove all around you is sadly quite artificial. In order to keep the "old growth" feel of the area, we need to get rid of all of the small seedling trees - particularly these scrub ash tree vermin.

She quite ruthlessly yanks a small, oval-leafed plant from the ground

Oh... and the "loves all plants" is a myth: I feel about as much sympathy for these as most people do a rat, or a big centipede, or whatever other nasty crawling pest you hate.

---

[Mirror Temple of Evil Light]

The Hierarch snorts

I'm sure there's some misguided "good" temple somewhere...

and then that question

That would place you solidly in the throne room of the Godruped... No one who values their continued existence goes there unbidden.

[deleteman900]

[Main Gate]

The woman nods

That's right: I'm Cienwen. No offense, but there's a bunch of stuff people always ask so I like to get it out of the way right off: Yes, I'm a dryad. Yes, my tree is on the temple grounds. No, I won't show it to you. No, I'm not ten years old. No, I won't tell you how old I am. Single, not looking. Sorry if none of those thoughts had even remotely crossed your mind.

She smiles

Now: for what you're going to be doing the rest of the day. This pine grove all around you is sadly quite artificial. In order to keep the "old growth" feel of the area, we need to get rid of all of the small seedling trees - particularly these scrub ash tree vermin.

She quite ruthlessly yanks a small, oval-leafed plant from the ground

Oh... and the "loves all plants" is a myth: I feel about as much sympathy for these as most people do a rat, or a big centipede, or whatever other nasty crawling pest you hate.

Genji nods a few times in rapid succession as she runs through the list of things she wanted to clarify, and nods once at the end of her explaining the task. "This might be a silly question, but why not have real trees then? Most trees are relatively hardy, and once they grow in there aren't many things that can take them down, besides certain diseases and pests that target trees specifically... If you grow some real trees, such as oaks which I'm particularly fond of, then it's unlikely these little guys would be able to muscle in on the big, tough adult trees, right?" Genji asks, not knowing as much as he could about trees, but honestly not thinking it was a terrible idea.

And err... I try not to make too many assumptions about folks. To be honest, you're the first dryad I've ever met, so it'd be kind of hard to have expectations anyways, heh..."

[Recaiden]

"The Godruped was there last time the Ways opened too. Had to smash him to little pieces. But he won't be as easy to handle here, will he?"
"Do you not know anything about this world you came to?"
Bat-Plum shrugs.
"Tell me about it. And maybe how one gets bidden in."

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Cienwen gives Genji a patient look

The trees are real. The grove isn't: the trees were placed here and grown with magic. It takes hundreds and hundreds of years of decaying pine needles, pine cones, sap drippings, resin, and root growth to discourage pests like this.

She shakes the plucked aspen sapling

So, 'round the time you've got your fourth tail, we won't need to have acolytes help out like this. Until then...

She gestures to the many saplings pushing up through the pine-needle floor.

Inari made you guys to control vermin: so get controlling!

---

[Mirror Temple of Evil Light]

(( To be fair: you fought a golem powered by a distant cross-dimensional link...

The ACTUAL godruped... well, unless Llama decides to come back... will remain a fearful rumor of distant evil... ))

The Hierarch blanches yet again

If he calls for you, you're invited. And likely doomed. He EATS peoples' SOULS. He subjugated Inari. He defeated Merant, and routed those fools from...

his eyes narrow at Plum

Town.

You don't mean the dire goddess of starvation and evil twisted predators that feast on human livers! You mean that fox-loving rice goddess... you're friends with that miserable sniveling Fenric and all those wretched champions of "good" and ... there's a chance to reclaim Calicyra!

GUARDS! GUARDS!

[deleteman900]

[Arboretum]

Cienwen gives Genji a patient look

The trees are real. The grove isn't: the trees were placed here and grown with magic. It takes hundreds and hundreds of years of decaying pine needles, pine cones, sap drippings, resin, and root growth to discourage pests like this.

She shakes the plucked aspen sapling

So, 'round the time you've got your fourth tail, we won't need to have acolytes help out like this. Until then...

She gestures to the many saplings pushing up through the pine-needle floor.

Inari made you guys to control vermin: so get controlling!

---

[Mirror Temple of Evil Light]

(( To be fair: you fought a golem powered by a distant cross-dimensional link...

The ACTUAL godruped... well, unless Llama decides to come back... will remain a fearful rumor of distant evil... ))

The Hierarch blanches yet again

If he calls for you, you're invited. And likely doomed. He EATS peoples' SOULS. He subjugated Inari. He defeated Merant, and routed those fools from...

his eyes narrow at Plum

Town.

You don't mean the dire goddess of starvation and evil twisted predators that feast on human livers! You mean that fox-loving rice goddess... you're friends with that miserable sniveling Fenric and all those wretched champions of "good" and ... there's a chance to reclaim Calicyra!

GUARDS! GUARDS!

Genji immediately clamps down on any irritation and simply nods, beginning to get to work. Thanks to his history of growing up as a farmer, he was perhaps better suited to a task of brute strength than might be expected of a fresh acolyte of the temple. It clearly wasn't effortless, but he was no stranger to uprooting trees to clear farmland. The info on how the 'pest' trees were prevented was news to him, in any case, and he filed it away as an interesting tidbit. Cienwen might notice that his technique for uprooting the trees was quite good, :D

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

To her credit, Cienwen does not sit idle and applies herself to the extirpation of aspen saplings herself.

It's not exactly fun... but it's not difficult nor is it particularly unusual for someone used to farm work and there is a certain satisfaction to restoring the cathedral of pines to its intended if not exactly natural state.

Cienwen whistles sharply as the sun begins to get lower

You did good, Mr. Genji: I'm impressed. It's not so often I have an acolyte put themselves into the task quite so well... I'm going to put a commendation in for your work today.

[deleteman900]

[Arboretum]

To her credit, Cienwen does not sit idle and applies herself to the extirpation of aspen saplings herself.

It's not exactly fun... but it's not difficult nor is it particularly unusual for someone used to farm work and there is a certain satisfaction to restoring the cathedral of pines to its intended if not exactly natural state.

Cienwen whistles sharply as the sun begins to get lower

You did good, Mr. Genji: I'm impressed. It's not so often I have an acolyte put themselves into the task quite so well... I'm going to put a commendation in for your work today.

The young kitsune almost glows from the praise, "Well thank you Miss Cienwen! I was a farmer before coming here, so putting in a bit of sweat to help your plants grow isn't a strange task for me. You did an excellent job yourself!" He compliments her, wiping the sweat from his brow, feeling pleasantly tired from the exertion of the day, "Is there anything else you need my help with before I retire for some grub, and a shower? If it's not too late, I might even be able to chat with Jian a bit about that picnic..." he is almost talking to himself towards the end, his previously limp, tired tail starting to perk up a bit at the mention of the nogitsune, a fact that likely isn't lost on the dryad...

[Recaiden]

((Well, yes. But Plum doesn't know all those details.))

"Yes, yes, I'm sure he's very threatening. I have plenty of spare souls." Plum says, waving a wing dismissively.

And then the Hierarch puts things together.

"C'mon, me!"
Feather-Plum barely has time to turn and look shocked before she's grabbed by the arm and dragged towards the mirror. Plum is quick, and barely touches the ground, if at all.
"Hey, no way am I going through there! Lemme go!"

[Ionbound]

[School]

Alicia nods and takes a deep breath, trying to clear her mind in a zen-like fashion, and let the magic flow through her...And suddenly her hand erupts in illusory light, a massive ball about the sized of her head. She squints, barely able to look at it, but as soon as she starts to focus, it blinks out.

She looks at the ground, definitively embarrassed, and says, "Um...I don't even know how I did that."

[deleteman900]

[School]

Alicia nods and takes a deep breath, trying to clear her mind in a zen-like fashion, and let the magic flow through her...And suddenly her hand erupts in illusory light, a massive ball about the sized of her head. She squints, barely able to look at it, but as soon as she starts to focus, it blinks out.

She looks at the ground, definitively embarrassed, and says, "Um...I don't even know how I did that."

Genji smiled kindly at Alicia, and offered some advice, "Just let it happen. If you try to force it, you'll only make it harder for it to happen properly...~" He smiled kindly at the young woman, curious at her apparent lack of vulpine traits.

[Fenric]

[School]

From over helping the other kits Jian smiles warmly at Genji, her tails waving in approval, then nods to Alicia

That was a very good start.

Katsuo nods

Try again, class.

---

[Arboretum]

Cienwen shakes her head

No, Genji: that's good for one day. Thanks for all your help!

---

[Mirror Temple of Evil Light]

Heavily armed guards in white-enameled armor come clattering along the passageway. The Hierarch turns to them

An incursion from Town! Capture them!

The guards advance on the Plums, and one raises a gauntleted fist

Hold and Be Still

And with that, a combination holding and silencing spell washes over the area!

[deleteman900]

[School]

From over helping the other kits Jian smiles warmly at Genji, her tails waving in approval, then nods to Alicia

That was a very good start.

Katsuo nods

Try again, class.

---

[Arboretum]

Cienwen shakes her head

No, Genji: that's good for one day. Thanks for all your help!

---

[Mirror Temple of Evil Light]

Heavily armed guards in white-enameled armor come clattering along the passageway. The Hierarch turns to them

An incursion from Town! Capture them!

The guards advance on the Plums, and one raises a gauntleted fist

Hold and Be Still

And with that, a combination holding and silencing spell washes over the area!

Arboretum

The young kitsune smiles, and waves to the dryad, before beginning to head back to the cafeteria to get some food, wondering if he'll see anybody he knows there.... or maybe nobody, and he'll just eat in peace before heading back to the dorm to catch his breath and maybe read a book or something.

[Fenric]

[Cafeteria]

Peng is here! Looks like he has more math homework, again. He glances up from his paper with a somewhat frustrated expression

Hey, Genji.

[deleteman900]

[Cafeteria]

Peng is here! Looks like he has more math homework, again. He glances up from his paper with a somewhat frustrated expression

Hey, Genji.

Genji walks over with his food and sits down next to the markedly less pretty nogitsune, sympathy written all over his face (figuratively). "Hey, what's going on, man? You don't look like you're doing so hot..." Genji murmurs quietly, "Math teacher got it out for you, or what?"