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

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Jian nods, not resisting Genji's little tail-hug.

And now for the challenging part.

The ace of hearts gets three, but the king of hearts only gets two. Kartuk shrugs

Sorry: didn't have many.

In their hand, the queen is ready... but the jack is missing. Jian fidgets just a little... and plays the queen of spades instead.

Peng grins

Delaying the finish, hmm?

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Jian nods, not resisting Genji's little tail-hug.

And now for the challenging part.

The ace of hearts gets three, but the king of hearts only gets two. Kartuk shrugs

Sorry: didn't have many.

In their hand, the queen is ready... but the jack is missing. Jian fidgets just a little... and plays the queen of spades instead.

Peng grins

Delaying the finish, hmm?

Genji grins back, "Something like that. It's more tense this way, heh~ Besides, it's a lot more fun to go as long as you can before you finally hit the climax of the game, though that's not something I'd expect you to know~" he teases Peng, hoping to throw the other todd off a little bit with some patter, even as he relaxes slightly, mind focusing on the game once more.

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Jian runs through two more spades, but she's running out of cards. Finally she sighs, and out goes the Queen of Hearts

Peng plays the two...

Kartuk looks bemused for a brief while, slowly drawing out his card...

Jian finally gets a tiny bit cross

Oh just play it, already!

But this just gets a smirk.

[Recaiden]

[Library]

"Thanks for all your help."
If it's that sort of library, Plum checks out a few books to be read in parallel.

But it's not until the next morning that she makes it to the portal to look for alt-Krystal.

[Sanctuary]

Another week, another instance of Anima coming in with a lunch offering.
This is a regular thing now, apparently.

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Jian runs through two more spades, but she's running out of cards. Finally she sighs, and out goes the Queen of Hearts

Peng plays the two...

Kartuk looks bemused for a brief while, slowly drawing out his card...

Jian finally gets a tiny bit cross

Oh just play it, already!

But this just gets a smirk.

Genji bristles slightly, beginning to grow uneasy. He can feel his longer than human-average, sharpened fingernails digging into the wood of the table slightly as he maintains steady eye contact with Kartuk, already planning ways to mess with him if he screws up to mood he'd been working on so hard. This afternoon was supposed to be fun, and he hardly wanted Jian's memory to be that she lost the game because of him... he understood the basics of how the game worked, but had no idea how everyone seemed so sure of what the others were about to play.

[Deathkeeper]

Fox World

Nick goes up and puts a paw on Khannie's shoulder.
"Khannie....Khannie. He's dead. Let him lie." he says sadly.

[Fenric]

[Fox World]

Kenji winces as Khannie shakes the corpse.

It's too late, Khannie. They're noisy and aggressive, but not really all that sturdy and you hit him really hard. Uh...

Then he goes over to the stones and starts disassembling the pile

We can use these to cover him up.

---

[Picnic]

The answer is card-counting and careful attention to detail. Except that certainly is not always well-placed, since Kartuk plays the Jack...

of Diamonds!

You already forgot that I'm out?

Jian blinks

Uh...

All eyes go to Lyle, who rolls his eyes

Twice in a row, for Inari's sake! Leave it to a pair of foxes to steal my crown: newbie and his girlfriend take it.

He flops down the Jack of Hearts: Genji and Jian win!

---

[Library]

The Librarian smiles at Plum

Will there be anything else?

---

[Pokémon Shirne]

In an amusingly redundant sort of post, Delphi smiles at Batu

Will there be anything else?

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

The answer is card-counting and careful attention to detail. Except that certainly is not always well-placed, since Kartuk plays the Jack...

of Diamonds!

You already forgot that I'm out?

Jian blinks

Uh...

All eyes go to Lyle, who rolls his eyes

Twice in a row, for Inari's sake! Leave it to a pair of foxes to steal my crown: newbie and his girlfriend take it.

He flops down the Jack of Hearts: Genji and Jian win!

Genji looks at the cards in disbelief for a moment, before turning and giving Jian a huge hug as he laughs, before kissing her cheek and feeling like he just won several lotteries. The excitement of the moment definitely had the blood pounding in his ears as he realized he still wasn't THE most skilled at Hearts, but he definitely did understand a little more about it now. After a moment he broke off from the contact, blushing deeply and looking away, sort of regretting revealing the cards in his hand so soon, but at the same time knowing 'twas only a matter of time, ;p "Hehe... w-we won!" He excitedly exclaims to his partner, still not believing it~

[Rebonack]

[Fox World]

Khannie, releases the corpse, letting it flop to the ground.

"I didn't mean to..." she sniffles.

There really aren't any thoughts going through her head. Poor kid is sitting there in stupefied silence.

She hadn't ever killed anything before.

[Recaiden]

Plum shakes her head.
"No, that's all. Thanks again for your help."

[Deathkeeper]

Fox World

Kenji can do as he'd like. Nick curls around Khannie comfortingly instead of helping.
"It's easier, after a while. You won't forget, but you won't have to think about it." he says quietly to her, his tone grave but positive.

[Zhentarim]

"...", Logan said.

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Genji gets a quick celebratory lick-kiss

All right!

Lyle shakes his head

Yeah, yeah... congrats.

---

[Portal]

Having cleverly missed Recaiden's post earlier, we now visit the Portal at the back of the middle, north-side room off of the sanctuary...

It's a proper swirly magic-portal of a thing, currently opaque. A temple guard is standing to either side, looking quite bored.

---

[Fox World]

Kenji continues to shift the stones

Not that I want you to become a hardened killer or anything, but really it's not so terrible. Oni are not at all nice...

he stops with a whistle

Uh... yeah... he'd have probably killed us if he had the chance. Come look at this!

---

[Sanctuary]

Lacking other context, we'll assume that Logan is in the sanctuary

Caroline smiles

Greetings, neighbor: the blessings of Inari be upon you. What can we do for you today?

[Recaiden]

It was a very subtle post, easily missed.

Plum approaches the temple guard with a small and a wave.
"Hello~"
"We'd like me to go through and talk to someone on the other side, is that alright?"

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Genji gets a quick celebratory lick-kiss

All right!

Lyle shakes his head

Yeah, yeah... congrats.

---

[Portal]

Having cleverly missed Recaiden's post earlier, we now visit the Portal at the back of the middle, north-side room off of the sanctuary...

It's a proper swirly magic-portal of a thing, currently opaque. A temple guard is standing to either side, looking quite bored.

---

[Fox World]

Kenji continues to shift the stones

[color=teal]Not that I want you to become a hardened killer or anything, but really it's not so terrible. Oni are not at all nice...

he stops with a whistle

Uh... yeah... he'd have probably killed us if he had the chance. Come look at this!

---

[Sanctuary]

Lacking other context, we'll assume that Logan is in the sanctuary

Caroline smiles

Greetings, neighbor: the blessings of Inari be upon you. What can we do for you today?

Genji looks over at Lyle, a swirl of emotion packed into the brief glance, chief among them was gratitude since he suspected Lyle was going easy on them on purpose. Silent thanks given, he glanced over at Peng, worried that he might react weirdly or something to what he'd done, tail swishing anxiously.

[Rebonack]

[Fox World]

Khannie heaves a sigh as she begins stacking rocks atop the dead oni.

Oni?

Didn't he call it an imp before?

Maybe they're different names for the same thing?

She'll have to ask him about that later.

Stone and stone, rock atop rock, until the ugly little thing has vanished from sight.

"I'll just have to be more careful next time..." she mutters. The job done, she glances up from her work when Kenji whistles. Now what? Maybe something good and helpful this time? Instead of a murderous little red imp that wants to whallop them with a hammer.

[Fenric]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Certainly, Miss Plum. Is this your first visit to the werefox world?

---

[Picnic]

Peng is studiously examining a rather plain looking bush, he smells more awkward and jealous than upset. And Genji isn't the only source of his feelints: Kartuk and Zhi have already left - gone looking for somewhere more private, and Lyle is gathering up the cards

Good game. I like it when folks take chances - it can get pretty dull otherwise. Though we seem to have lost some players...

Jian chuckles softly

Looks that way.

[deleteman900]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Certainly, Miss Plum. Is this your first visit to the werefox world?

---

[Picnic]

Peng is studiously examining a rather plain looking bush, he smells more awkward and jealous than upset. And Genji isn't the only source of his feelints: Kartuk and Zhi have already left - gone looking for somewhere more private, and Lyle is gathering up the cards

Good game. I like it when folks take chances - it can get pretty dull otherwise. Though we seem to have lost some players...

Jian chuckles softly

Looks that way.

Genji puffs his cheeks out slightly, "It was a good game, maybe someday soon I could even be the one to choose what cards to play, heh..." He jokes a little, "So.... I heard Jian mention a party of some sort tomorrow night, run by Katrina, you game for that if we end up going, Lyle? Peng?" He creates a little distance between himself and the vixen that had so thoroughly bewitched him, though he still stayed relatively close, more a show of empathy for his fellows than any actual desire to be separated once more. Anybody who looked at him had no trouble telling that he was blushing, and his tail flicked anxiously. "We'll have to go run down Zhi and Na, Kartik, and Kartuk, to see if they're interested as well, the more the merrier right?"

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Peng looks at Genji like he's lost his marbles

Dude... I am not going to one of her parties with my sister.

Na giggles, and Jian smirks

Oh come now: I'm sure Katrina can find somebody for you - that's her specialty, after all.

Lyle shakes his head at one item

Don't bug Kartik about it, though: he's really sensitive about that sort of thing. His ... tribe? Dunno what to call it, really... still arranges their marriages, and as far as I can tell he's quite set on following through with it.

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Peng looks at Genji like he's lost his marbles

Dude... I am not going to one of her parties with my sister.

Na giggles, and Jian smirks

Oh come now: I'm sure Katrina can find somebody for you - that's her specialty, after all.

Lyle shakes his head at one item

Don't bug Kartik about it, though: he's really sensitive about that sort of thing. His ... tribe? Dunno what to call it, really... still arranges their marriages, and as far as I can tell he's quite set on following through with it.

Genji seems non-plussed for a moment, "You have to go to her parties... with someone?" he glances over at Jian considerately, "Like, as a couple? I kinda thought the whole point was to meet other eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, isn't it? She certainly didn't seem to mind if I attended stag when I talked to her about it the other day..." He scratches the back of his head, "I suppose I should start looking for someone to attend with, but I wonder who I might ask?" He smirks as he lightly sticks his hip out to bump Jian's, soft, incredibly floofy tail brushing against hers as he continues to blush, though only slightly.

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Na shakes her head

Certainly, you can go by yourself. But if you do go with someone, it's rather assumed they're your date. That, and Peng's easily embarrassed, if you haven't already noticed.

Peng mutters something under his breath. Jian smiles playfully... but the tiniest bit insecurely

Surely you aren't already tired of going to events with me?

Lyle rolls his eyes

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Na shakes her head

Certainly, you can go by yourself. But if you do go with someone, it's rather assumed they're your date. That, and Peng's easily embarrassed, if you haven't already noticed.

Peng mutters something under his breath. Jian smiles playfully... but the tiniest bit insecurely

Surely you aren't already tired of going to events with me?

Lyle rolls his eyes

He shook his head, "Surely not. Though I must admit that I hadn't noticed when we started doing so..." he teased her light-heartedly, "That said, are you certain that you want to attend with me, knowing the implication that such a thing entails? I certainly wouldn't mind to attend with such a beautiful vixen to keep me company, and I'm sure that no matter how dreadful the people we meet are, you'll more than make up for it~" His voice nearly cracks with a mixture of dread and hope as he waits for her answer, scuffing the dirt with a boot.

[Recaiden]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Certainly, Miss Plum. Is this your first visit to the werefox world?

Plum nods.
"Yes, sir. We've only talked with them when they came over here."

[Fenric]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Well: the main thing to keep in mind is that they can be a bit unsettling. They're from a demiplane off of shadows, and there's a lot about them that will register as "evil" if you use the usual spells. They're not: it's just 'cause of the negative energy bias in their basic composition and has nothing to do with their personalities.

That said... they're more like our shadow vulpans or the nogitsune. They're not so hung up on being nice, and will do what it takes to get the job done if you know what I mean. I'm sure you'll do fine, but it's only fair to warn that good manners matter more there than here. They worship Inari same as us... sort of... only minor details that aren't really worth mentioning.

---

[Picnic]

All eyes turn to Jian, who is now thoroughly embarrassed... and thrilled... all at once

Well.. I've teased you maybe a little more than enough. I'd really like it if you came as my official date to Lady Katrina's next party.

woah...

[deleteman900]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Well: the main thing to keep in mind is that they can be a bit unsettling. They're from a demiplane off of shadows, and there's a lot about them that will register as "evil" if you use the usual spells. They're not: it's just 'cause of the negative energy bias in their basic composition and has nothing to do with their personalities.

That said... they're more like our shadow vulpans or the nogitsune. They're not so hung up on being nice, and will do what it takes to get the job done if you know what I mean. I'm sure you'll do fine, but it's only fair to warn that good manners matter more there than here. They worship Inari same as us... sort of... only minor details that aren't really worth mentioning.

---

[Picnic]

All eyes turn to Jian, who is now thoroughly embarrassed... and thrilled... all at once

Well.. I've teased you maybe a little more than enough. I'd really like it if you came as my official date to Lady Katrina's next party.

woah...

Genji's tail went stiff, surprised that she didn't play coy again, if pleasantly. The only reaction that he can think of is to kiss her again, awkwardly trying to do so on the lips instead of the cheek this time. In part, he didn't trust himself to speak right then, and in part he'd been wanting to do it for a while, but only now was sure that she at least wouldn't rip his head off~ His tail writhed, clearly ecstatic at this revelation...

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Jian returns the kiss: her slender canid tongue gently and briefly teasing Genji's lips.

Uh... hi...

The others laugh

Ha! The mighty Jian is caught!
Told you so
Are kitsune and nogitsune even allowed to date?

Lyle finds himself glared at.

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Jian returns the kiss: her slender canid tongue gently and briefly teasing Genji's lips.

Uh... hi...

The others laugh

Ha! The mighty Jian is caught!
Told you so
Are kitsune and nogitsune even allowed to date?

Lyle finds himself glared at.

Genji hums happily for a moment, before breaking the kiss, too happy to be able to get really mad at Lyle, "I don't know, but I sure hope that's not the case, otherwise my priesthood might be in jeapordy~"

[Fenric]

[Picnic]

Na saunters over to Lyle

Worse... we can even date humans: you're going with me to the party, right?

Lyle stammers, Peng looks aghast

What?

Jian giggles.

[deleteman900]

[Picnic]

Na saunters over to Lyle

Worse... we can even date humans: you're going with me to the party, right?

Lyle stammers, Peng looks aghast

What?

Jian giggles.

Genji can't help but chuckle with her, "Relax Peng, it's just a bit of fun and games, it's not like they're already picking out wedding dresses~" he teased, "Or should we start calling you Uncle Peng now?" he bit back a laugh and hid his smile behind an arm~

[Recaiden]

[Portal]

The guard nods

Well: the main thing to keep in mind is that they can be a bit unsettling. They're from a demiplane off of shadows, and there's a lot about them that will register as "evil" if you use the usual spells. They're not: it's just 'cause of the negative energy bias in their basic composition and has nothing to do with their personalities.

That said... they're more like our shadow vulpans or the nogitsune. They're not so hung up on being nice, and will do what it takes to get the job done if you know what I mean. I'm sure you'll do fine, but it's only fair to warn that good manners matter more there than here. They worship Inari same as us... sort of... only minor details that aren't really worth mentioning.

"Ravenloft, right?"
"But isn't it right in our mission statement that we're not in conflict with people purely over being evil?"
And if Plum had a problem with people who showed up evil on alignment scans, how would she go home or look in the mirror?
"Yes, I know what you mean. Thanks for the heads-up."

And into the portal she goes, all in one jump!