《Mail Fox Tales》


 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 1

    Eva was sleeping peacefully on her dog bed, slowly rolling from side to side, her two white tails wagging excitedly as she dreamt. If she had been more awake, the vixen would have readily admitted that it was the best purchase she had made since coming to Japan a couple of weeks ago. Even though it was just an oversized brown pillow.


    Her spartan room was just getting invaded by the first rays of sunshine, which hit the small desk sitting directly underneath it. Beyond that and the dog bed there was only an empty wall closet in the room.


    Her sleep was about to be cut short as the hands on her alarm clock moved ever closer to six thirty, when the clock¡¯s alarm would mercilessly drag Eva back to the conscious world. As it rang, her hazel eyes shot open, her dreams already half forgotten.


    Letting out an annoyed growl, she flicked one of her tails to the side. It missed the alarm clock on the first try, drawing forth another growl of annoyance as the young Kitsune had to admit to not being as used to her tails yet as she would have liked.


    After she turned the alarm off successfully on the second try, Eva sniffed the air. There was no smell of breakfast in it, so she rolled around to laze in bed for a few more precious moments. But not even a minute later the annoying sun had to shine right in her face, so she slowly rose up from her bed. Letting out a loud yawn, she stretched out the last vestiges of sleep from her limbs before leaving her oversized pillow with a jump.


    Landing on a pair of human feet, Eva continued to stretch, the sleeves of the simple green yukata she now wore sliding down her lightly tanned skin. Bringing her hands back down, she gave the base of her fox ears, where their white fur met her light brown hair, a few scratches.


    Sliding the door out of her small room open, she blinked a couple of times as she adjusted to the lighting of the corridor. Half a dozen doors filled the walls, which were only broken up for the stairs leading down to the first floor.


    ¡°Morning Eva.¡± A small Tanuki greeted her as she walked up to the bathroom he had just left.


    ¡°Good morning Toya.¡± Came the prompt, albeit sleepy response. As always she tried her best not to stare at his sizeable testicles, and focused instead on the patch of dark brown fur at the tip of Toya¡¯s tail.


    Once she closed the door behind her, Eva let her clothes dissolve as she stepped into the shower. While she could probably have used the same powers to clean herself thoroughly that she used to transform, she was too used to showering in the morning to drop the habit after little over a week.


    After spending half an hour drying her tails and hair, the fox-spirit vigorously shook her head. When she stopped her hair fell down forming her favorite style, one long braid in the back, with two shorter ones framing her face. A moment of concentration later she was wearing a bottle green hoodie over a black shirt, as well as a short pleated green skirt and a pair of leggins.


    ¡°Good Morning Lady Mayer¡± came the prompt greeting from Yukiko, who had once again worn nearly nothing to cover her snow white skin, despite the chilly Autumn night that had just passed.


    ¡°Good Morning Lady Shiroda¡± Eva replied, mocking the asian woman¡¯s continued reluctance to address her more casually. Watching as Yukiko¡¯s icy blue eyes narrowed with annoyance, the Kitsune decided not to push her luck with the Yuki-Onna this morning. Instead she made her way down the stairs to help Toya prepare breakfast for the group of Youkai living at the Mumeikitsune-Shrine.


    As she stepped from the wooden stairs onto the Tatami Mat floor of the buildings main room she needed a moment to get used to the mat¡¯s texture against her bare feet. This room took up about half the space available on the buildings lowest floor. The rest was taken up by the kitchen and a smaller room to receive important visitors to the shrine. A door led to the later from the genkan, while the door to the kitchen was on the wall opposite of the stairs.


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    Just as she started on crossing the room to help Toya with breakfast, a squirrel dropped from the ceiling onto her head, grabbing a hold of both her ears. ¡°Hey Eva, what¡¯s my favorite German Fox planning to do today?¡±


    ¡°Going to my classes at University.¡± Eva said as she picked Ratatoskr from her head, ¡°And maybe see to my divine duties after that if there¡¯s anything to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sooooo boooring¡±, he complained as he tried to turn around in her grip. ¡°Can¡¯t we do something fun instead? I heard Dionysos is throwing a great party in Olymp in a couple of hours, want to come to that instead?¡±


    ¡°Dionysos? Isn¡¯t that the *Greek* god of wine?¡± Eva inquired as she sat Ratatoskr down on the rooms main table as she passed it.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the guy.¡± The squirrel replied with a nod of his tiny head. ¡°Still not coming?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am still not coming with you to get drunk.¡± She replied as she opened the door to the Kitchen. Closing it as quickly as she could, Eva took a quick breather before turning to Toya who was in his usual guise of a young Miko and tending to a pan frying some fish.


    ¡°Ah good timing Eva, breakfast is just about done, so if you could set the table please?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She mumbled before getting to work.


    About ten minutes later the old Kodama Komaki stepped into the room and kneeled down before the table. He was dressed in robes befitting the shrine¡¯s high priest, a position he had held for generation. His skin was a slightly greyish white, and with the incountbale little wrinkles crisscrossing all over it made it look surprisingly similar to the birch tree he inhabited that stood as the only tree on the shrine grounds. At least if one didn¡¯t count the bamboo surrounding the shrine itself.


    ¡°Do remember to hide your ears and tails young Kami.¡± He chastised Eva, who had just started eating her Breakfast.


    ¡°Ah, yes of course.¡± She replied with a blush on her cheeks as her ears and tails slowly vanished.


    ¡°Good.¡± He simply replied before picking up the newspaper Toya had laid out for him in lieu of food.


    ¡°Thanks for breakfast Toya.¡± Eva shouted into the Kitchen before she stood up and walked to the front door. She picked up her messenger bag with her hometown¡¯s coat of arms, a child wearing black and yellow robes, from where she had dropped it yesterday. When Eva stepped onto the genkan, her feet were clad in sturdy boots rather than the comfortable slippers she had worn before.


    After giving the customary goodbye of ¡°Ittekimasu¡±, the Kitsune stepped outside and made her way across the grounds. She walked alongside the ring like pond separating the shrine itself from the rest of the world to reach the small red bridge that crossed it.


    Picking up a ladle full of water from the small well before the bridge¡¯s first Torii, she quickly rinsed her hands and mouth. Making sure no early visitors were around, she walked in the center of the bridge, as well as the middle of the cobble stone path leading from the bridges second Torii on its other side to the shrine.


    Even if it was a breach of etiquette, the center of a shrine¡¯s paths was reserved for the Kami and the Tenno, she couldn¡¯t help herself. Whenever she walked this path like that, she breathed easier, as if she had stepped out of a campfire¡¯s smoke.


    Passing by the small hut with the donation box and bell, she stepped through the third,well fourth if you counted the one separating the shrine grounds from the boardwalk. It was the simplest of them , consisting only of two wooden pillars and a thick rope tied to their tops that then hung down to form a small fence between the smaller wooden post around the actual shrine.


    Walking around to the back of the shrine, she opened a door and stepped into a small storage room. As she picked up the only package she needed to deliver as part of her duties as a Divine Messenger, or as she referred to it ¡®Mail-Fox¡¯, that day, Eva thought back to the night she got dropped into this world of gods and spirits a bit over a week ago.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 2

    8 days earlier


    Finally all the preparations and paperwork for enrollment were finished. And with the start of the semester still a couple of days a way, Eva had decided to enjoy herself tonight. The decision to enjoy some sake at a local Izakaya was an easy one. She did come to Japan to broaden her education beyond the beer they brewed at her college after all.


    She sent a message to Kurt Wagner, a fellow exchange student from Germany she had met on the plane to Tokyo. His reply, that he had no problem joining in, came just as she grabbed her bag and was about leave her tiny flat.


    She quickly made her way to the nearby Izakaya with a surprisingly generous all you can drink offer. Eva was shown to a small table for two at one the side of the establishment¡¯s only room. Once she sat down on the chair facing towards the entrance, she was soon served a small portion of Edamame. She ordered some warm sake and began waiting for her acquaintance to join her.


    Luckily she did not have to wait to long, as he arrived just when she had refilled her sake cup the first time. His height alone made him stand out, being nearly a head taller than the natives around them. Seeing the wary expressions sent his way, Eva was glad she was only 1.75. When Kurt sat down before her, she felt reminded of a dog for some reason. His moustache looked mildly reminiscent of her family''s Newfoundlands drooping lips. But that was the extent of his resemblance to any kind of dog she knew. His black beard was hanging down to his chest in a neat braid. Kurt thanked the waitress for the portion of beans she put down before him and ordered himself a beer before greeting Eva.


    ¡°So finally getting a chance to talk beyond exchanging numbers huh?¡± Kurt said with a soft chuckle, ¡°Sorry for not talking much during the flight, but I did book an overnight one. Really bad at handling time differences this big.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Eva dismissed his concerns as she put down her drink. ¡°I mean we did exchanges numbers to catch up again. Though I don¡¯t think you told me why exactly you came to study here in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°Well you didn¡¯t share either.¡± He replied, but was interrupted for a moment by the arrival of his own drink. ¡°And isn¡¯t it ¡®Ladies first¡¯?¡± Kurt finished with a smirk before the pair clinked their glass and cup with a loud ¡®Prost¡¯.


    ¡°Well if you insist. I¡¯ve been studying brewery and beverage technology so far, and was always curious how they make sake. So I spent a couple semesters learning Japanese in the evenings before applying for English exchange programs here in Japan.¡± She explained reluctantly between sips of sake. ¡°Though most classes I¡¯ll be taking are more general biology, I can get those accredited back home.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± Kurt muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not getting any actual credits for the courses I¡¯ll do this year. Then again, I am primarily hear to get first hand experience with Japan.¡±


    ¡°So what are you studying?¡± The young woman inquired after finishing her first drink, ordering a new one as her fellow German replied.


    ¡°Japanese Studies. With a focus on mythology and religion.¡±


    As they fell into more smalltalk after that, they kept drinking for a couple hours. At one point Eva accidentally knocked her bag over, spilling out some of the stuff still in it she had yet to unpack. When he spotted bandages and band aids amongst the things, Kurt, obviously drunk already, began to laugh hard and loud. The drunk Germans ignored the annoyed stares from the other patrons as they continued their talk.


    ¡°You some kind of *hic* paramedic or what? never seen someone other than those carry so much *hic* first aid stuff.¡±


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    ¡°Well kinda.¡± Eva replied with a shrug. ¡°Just as a volunteer though.¡±


    ¡°Aaaah.¡± Kurt lulled before trying to stand up, succeeding only barely. ¡°Well I thi *hic* think I better go home, see you sometime during lunch I guess.¡±


    ¡°I guess. See you soon.¡± Eva said with a wave as he moved to pay.


    As she still had an hour worth of pre-paid drinks, the young woman decided to get a taste of every sake on the menu.


    An hour later Eva carefully made her way out of the izakaya, acutely aware of the fact that she drank many more than one beyond her thirst. With each step carefully considered so she would not fall on her face, Eva made her way home. But before she got anywhere a loud whimper suddenly filled her ears.


    Turning to look into the alley it seemed to be coming from, She carefully peered into it. What she saw looked like a small white dog trying to limp forward, a few patches of fur on it¡¯s side colored red and pink by fresh blood.


    Stumbling towards the injured animal as quickly as a drunk could, Eva strained her clouded mind to recall what she knew about first aid for animals. While she approached the injured animal, she rummaged in her bag for the bandages she had with her. Three attempts later she had it tied into a makeshift muzzle.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s going to be alright little one.¡± Eva said as she leaned down to it, blinking a few times when she thought she saw multiple tails wagging limply behind the animal. First she put one hand onto the animals back. Then she quickly slid the sling around its muzzle and tied it closed before the panicked animal could bite her on accident.[1]


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s for your best.¡± Eva mumbled as much to herself as to the animal as she began to carefully look for the origin of the blood staining the fur. Soon enough she found the wound just above the poor things shoulder. Taking a second bandage out of her bag Eva carefully tied it around the animal¡¯s torso.


    She picked the wounded animal up to try and bring it to the doctor she was sure she had seen on the way here. But as one of the animals limbs dangled limply at an odd angle the drunk woman quickly stumbled to a stop again. Not wanting to risk making a fracture worse, she set the animal back down as careful as she could manage. Then, with the last bandage she found in her bag and a couple of pens, Eva improvised a splint to immobilize the leg before she picked the animal up once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s all going to be alright you¡¯ll see. Just a few moments more and we¡¯ll be at the vet¡¯s.¡± Eva continued to mumble, more to keep herself going than to comfort the animal.


    When they arrived at the dentist¡¯s[2] mere moments later though, it had closed hours ago. Even after repeatedly ringing the bell there was no reply. Too drunk to read Kanji, and unwilling to set the poor animal down to try and use her translation app, she decided to instead make her way home, let the animal rest at her place for the night and go to the doctor the next morning.


    Opening the door to her apartment turned out to be a massive obstacle in this plan. Eventually she managed to fit the key into the keyhole and unlock the door. She barely managed to set the wounded animal down on a pillow before the adrenaline finally wore off and the alcohol overwhelmed her completely. She collapsed into a drunk slumber on the floor, right next to the animal she had tried to save.


    Moment¡¯s later two of the fox¡¯s tails brushed across her back. The animal had laboriously cracked an eye open. It watched her sleep as it slowly dissolved into ashes gathering on the pillow and floor around it.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 3

    After blinking a couple of times, Eva found herself sitting in the middle of a small clearing. The bamboo surrounding her was filled with dense fog. Which made it impossible to make anything out even just half a meter beyond the first few plants.


    As she looked around, she saw a woman kneeling before her, with nine snow white tails flicking around slowly behind her. The elderly woman was wearing the traditional garb of a Miko, a white kimono and red hakama. She had her white hair tied back into a style Eva couldn¡¯t quite make out from her position, with two fox ears poking through it.


    Noticing her waking up, the elderly woman picked up a bundle of vibrantly painted fabric that had sat next to her and approached Eva.


    ¡°I must thank you for the care you gave me young one.¡± The elderly Foxwoman addressed Eva as she held out the bundle of fabric for Eva to take. ¡°So let me use what is left of my time to repay at least this debt.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The younger woman inquired confused as she hesitantly took hold of the bundle of fabric offered to her. As it touched her hands she failed to notice the strands of white fur pushing out of her scalp. ¡°And what care?¡±


    ¡°I am Mumei[1], the old fox you tried to save.¡± The old woman explained, the tips of her tails turning slightly translucent. ¡°Would you do an old woman one last favour and let me see you wear my old uchikake?¡± She requested as she pulled on the string holding the bundle closed, which immediately unfurled into what looked like a kimono, a beautiful scene of a fox dragging a boar into the ruins of a fishing village painted across it. Beyond that it was embroidered heavily, some parts even with actual gold and silver.


    ¡°This this must be worth a fortune.¡± Eva mumbled as she took in every detail of the garment, noticing neither the slow transformation of her own clothes into ones identical to the old woman¡¯s, nor the fox ears twitching on her head. ¡°How could I just accept such a gift?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about the value of a priceless gift given freely.¡± The old lady said with a friendly smile, her tails vanishing more and more by the second. Grabbing hold of the garment she stepped around Eva. ¡°Here let me help you put it on.¡± She said as she slipped it over the German¡¯s arms and shoulders. She was careful not to step on the two tiny tails poking out of a small hole in the red hakama Eva was now wearing.


    Unwilling to risk harming the old woman by resisting, Eva let herself be dressed up without complaint. When the woman stepped in front of Eva again, her white hair had turned grey, and her ears and tails had fully vanished.


    ¡°You look splendid, I am sure you will make a fine Kami in the centuries to come.¡± The old lady said with a tired smile.


    ¡°Wait what?!¡± Eva shouted in utter surprise at what the woman had told her.


    ¡°It was my gift to you.¡± The old woman said as she summoned a silver mirror so Eva could see her new appearance. Two snow white fox ears were sitting atop her head, parting the light brown strands of hair surrounding them. Her clothes were now a perfect mirror of the older woman¡¯s, except for the lavish uchikake she was wearing on top of them. Behind her, two white fox tails were flicking from side to side excitedly.


    ¡°But why me?¡±


    ¡°Because you were the only one who cared about an old fox that had been hit by a car. And while your care came too late for me, a Zenko like me can not let such a debt go unpaid.[2]¡± The old Kitsune explained as her body slowly began to dissolve as well starting with her feet and sandals.


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    ¡°No, that, that can¡¯t be, just, just try to make it till sunrise, I am sure the doctor will be able to help you.¡± Eva said filled with sorrow and panic, her eyes wide as she watched more and more of the other woman drift away and join the fog around them.


    ¡°Do not weep for me child, I have grown so weary of living in Edo over the centuries. I still remember the olden days, when all it was were a few huts on the coast.¡± The Old woman tried to comfort Eva, scratching her behind her new ears with her slowly vanishing hands.


    ¡°But the city has been rebuilt after one fire to many. I dread the next time the Namazu wakes, and the devastation that will follow.[3]¡±


    When Eva opened her mouth to interrupt, the old woman placed a translucent finger on the former humans lips.


    ¡°Just take good care of your shrine, you are the Mumeikitsune now.¡±


    ¡°Wait my shrine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it shouldn¡¯t be to much work for you though, Komaki does a lot of the work anyways. Just make sure he doesn¡¯t waste it all watching the young women working under him¡±


    ¡°Where is it even?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, with taking over my duties as divine messenger, you will find you will never get lost again, so finding your home will pose no problem. Now, I¡¯ll finally learn the answer to one last riddle.¡± Were the woman¡¯s final words as she vanished completely, joining the pure white mist around Eva as it seemed to close in on her.


    Slowly getting up from the floor of her floor, it took Eva a moment to realize that she was still wearing the shrinemaiden outfit from her dream. As she slowly stood up, she heard a crash behind her. Turning around quickly, she flinched as pain shot up her spine. Looking behind her, she saw a pair of white furred tails wedged between the wall and her back.


    As she carefully picked up the things her tails had knocked down, there was a knock at her window. Walking up to it carefully, so she didn¡¯t knock anything over with her tails again, Eva wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore when she spotted the white ears on top of her reflection''s head. What was surprising was the squirrel knocking on her window.


    ¡°You going to open up young Vixen? I need to talk to Mumei, she was here last I checked.¡±


    Hearing the squirrel talk was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, and Eva stumbled back shocked more than she had ever imagined to be possible. To further her utter confusion for a moment her vision filled with a puff of smoke. Not expecting this in the least she awkwardly landed on her paws. Which gave her the next shock, as she had turned into a white furred, two tailed fox. Which was also the moment her mind demanded a reboot to preserve some semblance of sanity.


    Seeing the young kitsune collapse inside the flat, the squirrel just began to cackle to himself as he sat outside the window. ¡°Oh Loki, Mumei has surpassed herself with this. This new fangled spirit shocked herself into unconciousness.¡±Taking a small talisman given to him by the aforementioned god of trickery, Ratatoskr dissolved the glass in the window and hopped down, beginning to look for clues as to where his old friend had ended up.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 4

    ¡®How much things can change in just one week.¡¯ Eva thought to herself as she closed the door behind herself. The package she had picked up was barely bigger than a normal letter. As she held it, the path to its recipient began to slowly unfurl in her mind.


    The Kitsune quickly realized the red thread her sixth sense painted lead past her University. Thus Eva slipped it into her bag and left the Honden behind. Deciding she could afford to waste some time instead of rushing to catch the Subway, she slowly meandered through the bamboo growing around her. The bright yellow leaves above her cast shadows on the earth below creating an unique spectacle.


    As she stepped next to the donation box, Eva saw a couple of the shrine''s regular visitors crossing the bridge. So she discreetly moved to the edge of the path rather than the center she had been headed for. The two visitors, Yujiro Mori and Hanako Unagi, often visited the shrine at this time. For Mr. Mori it was a short break after buying fresh fish to sell that day on the market. Where as Ms. Unagi made a habit of visiting at the same time on her way to her office.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Mori, Ms. Unagi¡± Eva greeted the pair of locals visiting the shrine, a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Good morning Ms. Mayer.¡± Mr. Mori, the middle aged store owner replied with a polite bow.


    ¡°Ah Morning Ms. Mayer.¡± The woman greeted the German with a small wave. ¡°Are you excited to be part of the Kitsune Matsuri[1] next week? I am so glad I could get the day off to help you all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am not sure what help I could be though.¡± Eva admitted, Her shoulders sagging down a bit and her eyes half closed. All she had been told by Komaki about her role in the festival had been to not worry about it.


    ¡°I am sure you will do well enough, if nothing else you can help us carry the palanquin around the neighbourhood.¡± Mr. Mori said with a wide smile as he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°Or cook with us.¡± the young office lady said and, misinterpreting the Kitsune¡¯s expression, she continued.¡±And don¡¯t worry what the older people around here think. It is great that people like you show such an interest in our culture.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eva said, giving a short bow towards the two visitors before she began to move on. ¡°Now if you excuse my, I do need to get to class.¡±


    With that she moved past the pair. Ms. Unagi¡¯s words had brought to mind again the many times the older people around, and even some of the younger ones with them, had given Eva displeased stares.


    She could understand them to an extent, after all, she was a foreigner working at their sacred shrine. But then again, having her just living on the shrine grounds without any good reason would have been even stranger. And according to old Komaki, not living on the shrine she had inherited, for a lack of a better term, from her predecessor was not an option for now. Which she hoped to get sorted out sooner rather than later, even with this very strange stay in Japan so far, she should go back home in a year.


    Crossing the wooden bridge for the second time that morning, Eva shook her head as if to banish her train of thought. Her three braids swayed a bit longer while she stepped up to the temples outermost Torii gate.


    After looking around to make sure no one was paying her much attention, Eva stepped under the wooden gate and onto what she called the Foxroad. There was surely a more accurate name for this apparition of countless Torii forming an ethereal tunnel before her, but no one had told her yet. She couldn¡¯t explain how she knew to navigate it either, because except for a few exceptions, like the rather iconic one legged Torii of Sann?-jinja in Nagasaki, the young Kitsune could not actually tell any of them apart.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.As far as Eva had figured out by now, they were not arrayed in any fixed order. The distances between Torii she had traveled through multiple times already had never been the same twice. Whistling a tune to herself, she simply resolved herself to ask another messenger fox about these things once she met one.


    It would be nice to spend an afternoon just sketching all the gates, though she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to share it with many people, if any.


    As her newly acquired sense of direction tore her from her musings, Eva stepped through the Torii leading to a small, nearly abandoned shrine only a few blocks from her university.


    Stepping up to the donation box, she took a small pack of Cucumbers from her bag and dropped it into the Box. Smelling the Kappa living in the shrine nearby as last time, she let her fox ears show for a few seconds in the hopes of drawing the other spirit out of hiding. When that did not happen, she turned to leave.


    Patting her head to make sure the ears were gone again, she stepped onto the boardwalk and made her way to class, preparing herself for another lecture only getting every student informed what they would need to be doing over the course of the Semester and what they would cover in it, rather than actually learning things.


    As it had turned out, the young professor in charge of her second class that day had spent only the minimum of time needed on organizational baggage, before moving on to the actual topic of the class. While it wasn¡¯t the most exciting of classes, the amount of information about grain that had been packed into the last 45 minutes was impressive.


    Now she was waiting outside for Kurt so they could eat lunch together.


    ¡°Hey Fuchs.¡± Came the unexpected greeting after he had snuck up on her. Which was quite surprising with how much better her senses of hearing and smell had become. Not to mention he smelled of dog half the time.


    ¡°Hey Kurt, and stop calling me Fuchs.¡± Eva complained as she turned around to face him.


    ¡°Okay Fuchs.¡± He said before leading the way to the small Takoyaki stall, he had wanted to show her. The annoyed grumbling from behind him was simply ignored for the first leg of the walk.


    ¡°So where is this stall?¡± Eva inquired after they had moved a couple of blocks from the University through various back alleys. Poking him in the side to finally get a reaction, she continued. ¡°I thought you said it was close by?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes, we are just about there.¡± He replied after sniffing the air. Kurt then stepped into an extremely narrow side alley that barely fit his wide frame. Eva had a much easier time fitting between the buildings, when suddenly a tantalizing smell filled her nose.


    A moment later they stepped out of the alley and found themselves at the back of a mobile food stall selling Takoyaki. Once they had ordered half a dozen of the small balls of octopus filled dough, Eva realized the smell she had noticed in the alley had come from the food she was now chewing on.


    ¡°This is great.¡± She said between bites. ¡°Though the route here was just a tad convoluted wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°I mean we got here, and you said you had no more classes today, so you can¡¯t be late for anything right?¡± He countered immediately before taking another ball. ¡°Just hope I won¡¯t grow tired of these to soon.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Eva mumbled through her Takoyaki filled mouth.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 5

    ¡°So what are you doing later today?¡± Kurt inquired while the two exchange Students made their way through the maze formed by the streets of Tokyo. He futilely tried to brush the last few crumbs out of his braided beard while waiting for a response.


    ¡°I have some work to do this afternoon, and probably going to just relax and read a book afterwards.¡± Eva replied as the traffic light they waited at had finally switched to green.


    ¡°Ah right. Still not quite sure why you also took a job, didn¡¯t you have a scholarship for your stay here or something like that?¡± He inquired , having given up on getting his facial hair presentable again for the moment. Instead his hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans.


    ¡°Well I felt like it.¡± Eva said with an exaggerated shrug. ¡°And besides, I didn¡¯t see you complain about my extra spending money when I payed for your takoyaki.¡±


    ¡°Fair fair.¡± Kurt replied giving a shrug of his own. Pulling his phone out, he flicked through his Calendar app. ¡°So when do you want to meet up again for food and talks?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Looking up her own availabilities, the young Kitsune replied. ¡°How about over the weekend, maybe do Karaoke as well?¡±


    Before he replied, Kurt gave a barely noticeable flinch as he looked at the notes on his calendar. ¡°This weekend is not going to work out. Any other suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Well only other time that would work would be the same time as today, next week. I got roped into helping out at a festival near my flat, and that¡¯s going to keep me busy next week I fear.¡± Eva offered, following with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Ah, well if you are helping out, maybe I should just make time to visit that instead.¡± Kurt suggested. ¡°Where is it going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Mumeikitsune, a small Inari shrine in my neighbourhood. It¡¯s going to happen next weekend.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting, I¡¯ll see if I can find time to swing by.¡± Kurt said before he waved goodbye. Their routes home were about to split, Kurt''s leading him down to the subway station they were passing, while Eva would have to walk on a few blocks more to keep up appearances with him. Then she could finally deliver the package she had carried around all day. And then she could finally head home to relax.


    Ducking into a small side alley, Eva pulled out the package she had still to deliver. She carefully placed it on the ground. Then the Kitsune looked around to make sure the alley was free of any curious onlookers, before she dropped down to all four paws.


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    Picking up the small cargo by a small ribbon tied around it, she raced away, tails held firmly together to draw less attention from the few people that did spare the canine racing past them a second glance. Running around in the shape of a snow white fox was when she felt most at ease ever since her metamorphosis.


    Not to mention her much smaller stature made it a breeze to navigate the packed streets of Tokyo at a rapid pace. Slipping through between people¡¯s legs, and occasionally running on the facade of a building if no one looked, Eva made fast progress. As always she followed the invisible red thread connecting the package to its destination through her mind¡¯s eye.


    As she ran through the urban jungle, Eva tried to keep an eye on her surroundings. But after running next to a railway for twenty minutes, all the little shops on the other side of the road began to blur into each other.


    A few more minutes of ever same and still ever changing cityscape later, the Kitsune finally arrived at her destination.Which turned out to be a generic grey apartment building surrounded by a few trees contrasting sharply with it. Which was quite a surprise seeing as most other deliveries she had had to make had led her to shrines both old and new.


    Giving a shrug with her small foxy shoulders, she made her way around to the back and began slowly walking up the walls between the apartments balconies. Stepping carefully to keep out of view, the white fox made slow progress until she reached the balcony attached to the flat she was looking for.


    Moving over to the glass door leading into the apartment itself, her nose was assaulted by a canine stench. Taking one last step forward, she shifted into a more humanoid form.She kept the ears and tails and was now wearing the white Kimono and red Hakam of a Miko as she knocked against the glass.


    When a moment later someone stepped before the door, Eva actually dropped the package in surprise. Luckily nothing in it seemed to break.


    ¡°Kurt?¡±


    ¡°Eva?¡±


    Standing inside the apartment was her fellow exchange student, looking just as confused as her own reflection on the glass.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 6

    ¡°You going to let me in to talk about this?¡± Eva inquired after a few seconds of stunned silence.


    ¡°Ah yes, of course.¡± Kurt said before he scrambled to open the door and let the Kitsune in. ¡°So you are a Fox, I was wondering why you smelled like one since lunch on monday.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Eva admitted as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, carefully moving her tails out of the way so she wouldn¡¯t catch any of them in a door. Again. ¡°Though it all just started about a week ago.¡±


    ¡°And you jumped onto my balcony why?¡± Kurt inquired, arms crossed before his chest.


    ¡°Because I''ve got a delivery for you.¡± she explained, holding out the package for him.


    ¡°Which you didn¡¯t deliver through the front door why?¡± Kurt continued to inquire as he grabbed it and sat down on the tatami floor.


    ¡°Because the last time I tried to deliver something I spooked a group of Kappa. And A Kitsune in broad daylight would just be too suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Uhu¡± Kurt mumbled, not believing her as he focused on the package. While he opened it Eva looked around. Most of Kurt¡¯s belongings had yet to be unpacked judging by the amount of Boxes standing around. The few things that were unpacked, a laptop, some folded up piece of fabric, needles and embroidery thread, a small calendar and some stationary, filled a small table sitting at the center of the room.


    ¡°So why are you delivering things?¡± Kurt asked, tearing her attention away from his belongings.


    ¡°You remember the first night we went out to drink here in Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°Not much of it, why?¡± He wondered, putting the contents of the delivery down on the small table.


    ¡°Well on my way home, I picked up a dying fox goddess. Not that I knew about that at the time.¡± Eva began to explain, her gaze dropping to the floor, ears and tails drooping down. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t actually do anything for her, drunk as I was.¡± She preempted the most likely question. ¡°She felt inheriting her position and obligations an adequate reward for my efforts though, so here I am.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s not what I was expecting.¡± Kurt admitted as he looked up at her.


    ¡°Then how do you think people turn into foxes?¡± The Kitsune inquired, slowly raising her head to look at her friend again.


    ¡°Well I assumed I just missed the foxy smell on the plane amidst all the other people.¡± Kurt admitted with shrug. ¡°Though now that you do ask, I kind of want to find out how it¡¯s portrayed in legends, if at all.¡± He continued while starting his laptop.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Eva replied, her left ear giving a little flick. ¡°Well I¡¯ll guess I leave you to it then, see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah wait, mind delivering this for me?¡± Kurt asked as he scrambled to write a short reply, folding it and sealing it with a piece of tape.


    ¡°Who is it for?¡± Eva inquired. ¡°I¡¯ll not take a letter to Europe any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah no worries about that, Dad said Ratatoskr would stay in Japan for a bit.¡±


    Eva, all emotion drained from her face, took the message and stood up. ¡°It seems I have someone to talk to, so I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.With her tails rising stiffly behind her, the young Kitsune moved towards the door she entered through.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to use the front door?¡±


    ¡°Yes, It¡¯ll be quicker this way.¡± Eva said, before stepping outside and returning to the ground the same way she climbed up.


    Half an hour, and another trip across the foxroad, later Eva was back at Mumeikitsune. Walking across the ground, she waved to Toya in passing. With the young Tanuki preoccupied talking to a couple of, presumably, tourists, Eva decided to just move on for now. Despite keeping a lookout for him, she did no see the lazy rodent she was after. Stepping inside the house, her boots dissolved before her now bare feet touched the tatami mats.


    At first glance, the main room seemed to be empty. Which wasn¡¯t really a surprise this time in the afternoon. Komaki usually took a nap in his tree around this time of day. Yukiko was at some practice or other, playing the shamisen, dancing, holding a tea ceremony, or something Eva had yet to learn about. And Toya was tending to the shrine grounds and visitors. Normally Eva would head to her room and study until Toya needed her to take over so he could prepare dinner for everyone.


    Today however, she instead searched for a certain mythological squirrel. Though she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, the letter from Kurt still lead nowhere but to Mumeikitsune, which meant waiting for Ratatoskr right where she was, was the best way to deliver it.


    Over the hours she spent waiting, first while trying to study, then taking over for Toya, Eva¡¯s ire at the norse deity, if that even was the right thing to call him, slightly fizzled out. As she began to make her way back inside for dinner though, the Kitsune saw a very drunk squirrel fall out of the one actual tree they had. Seeing the tiny wine stained Toga he was wearing reignited her anger easily. As she stomped over, her eyes looked as if they were to burst into flame at any moment. She grabbed the small animal by the neck and held him up to her eye level.


    ¡°You lazy little bastard.¡± Eva greeted him as she began to return inside.


    ¡°Hey you la-lame vixen.¡±


    ¡°I got a letter for you. From the guy I took your package to. Who lives right next to half a dozen trees.¡±


    ¡°Oh good, gimme.¡± Ratatoskr said stretching out one of his tiny paws towards the Kitsune, who held the piece of paper she had gotten from Kurt just outside his reach.


    ¡°First you tell me why you couldn¡¯t deliver it yourself and instead wasted my time with it.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know where he lives. And it¡¯s your duty isn¡¯t it? Oh and of course I couldn¡¯t miss a party organized by a god of wine.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Eva simply dropped the squirrel and the letter in front of the door. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a messenger of Inari, not your personal mail carrier.¡±


    ¡°Ah shit, an here I hoped you could deliver something else for me on saturday.¡±


    ¡°Why saturday?¡± Eva inquired as she stopped and turned around, her red hakama flaring to the side at the sudden movement.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s when this month¡¯s full moon is.¡±

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 7

    ¡°What¡¯s the Full-¡± Eva began before shaking her head. ¡°No better question, why would I do that for you? After all you are not one of the local spirits I need to do this for.¡±


    ¡°I am still owed at least one favour by the Kami of Mumeikitsune, and last I checked that was you.¡± Ratatoskr responded, trying to look as smug as possible for a drunk squirrel in a dirty toga.


    ¡°Just because Mumei owed you when she passed away, doesn¡¯t mean you can collect from me.¡± Eva replied as the two of them finally stepped inside.


    ¡°Sure I can.¡± Was the response of the small rodent that was busy brushing the dirt from its paws. ¡°She always took on debts ¡®on the Honor of the Mumeikitsune shrine¡¯s Kami. Which,by now, is you. And you really don¡¯t want to know what happens to Kitsune that break promises.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just pulling my tails aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no way it works like this.¡± Eva said incredulously. ¡°We aren¡¯t living in times where Samurai kill themselves for avenging their master.¡±(1)


    ¡°Sure, but some of these debts predate Tokugawa Ieyasu.¡±(2) Ratatoskr countered before climbing up onto the tatami floor. ¡°And if you doubt me when I tell you that you do not want to find out what breaking a promise means for you now, just ask the grumpy old tree.¡±


    ¡°WHO ARE YOU CALLING GRUMPY?!¡± Komaki yelled from his place at the table.


    ¡°Finally. you¡¯re late Eva.¡± Toya cut off the old tree spirit before he could start a triade. The young Tanuki was sitting on the table, tail lazyly swinging from side to side.


    ¡°Sorry, got distracted by a certain brown furred annoyance.¡± The Kitsune said as she knelt down before the table at her usual place right next to Yukiko, who was already eating quietly. ¡°Which brought up a weird thing. What happens to a Kitsune that breaks a promise?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too bad.¡± Komaki begins to explain between bites of fish. ¡°You just lose one of your tails. And whatever powers you gained when it grew. In your case, seeing as you are a Zenko(3), it would probably be the ability to transform into a human.¡±


    ¡°And how is that ¡®Nothing too bad¡¯?¡± The German inquired.


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably regain it when your next tail grows in in a century or so.¡± Komaki said, still more focused on his food than the conversation. At least until he heard a bowl break as it hit the table.


    ¡°A-a-a-a CENTURY?¡± Eva shouted, her tails lashing about behind her, while her eyes were wide open and fixed on Komaki. ¡°I need to look like my old self when I go home next September.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, you still think on mortal scales.¡± The ancient tree spirit responded to the young fox spirit. ¡°If that really is something you worry about, you better not take any risks.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want me to carry around on saturday?¡± Eva inquired while she absentmindedly gathered up the rice she just spilled. Ears visible now as well, lying flat against her head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Just wait and see.¡± The Squirrel replied before chuckling to himself.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Every one but Yukiko, who kept up eating without a care, turned their heads to the ancient squirrel worriedly for a bit. When Ratatoskr finally finished, they quickly finished their dinner.


    Saturday Afternoon


    ¡°So when will you show me what you want delivered?¡± Eva asked, not for the first time that day. Currently she was sweeping the pathway leading to the shrine. Ratatoskr was on her shoulder and they had been holding a whispered conversation when there were no humans in her vicinity.


    ¡°Should arrive any moment.¡± He replied, sitting comfortable on the soft fabric of the kosode Eva was wearing.(4)


    Before they could continue their conversation though, she was surprised to see a familiar face walk across the small bridge. With no way to hide her presence nearby, Eva decided to just walk up to Kurt and say hi.


    ¡°What brings you here this afternoon?¡± She asked, a smile on her lips, leaning slightly on her broom.


    ¡°Huh, fancy meeting you here, Fuchs.¡± The other German responded, nervously playing with his braided beard. ¡°I was told to meet someone here a couple of minutes ago. You work here I guess?¡±


    Eva gave a quick nod, but before she could reply with more, Ratatoskr spoke up. ¡°Finally, and your Dad said you were always punctual.¡±


    Taking a step back in surprise, the young man finally noticed the squirrel sitting on the fox¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you Ratatoskr?¡±


    ¡°The one and only, now come both of you, I promised old Wolfi I¡¯d take care of your monthly problem.¡±


    ¡°And how does coming to a shrine in the middle of Tokyo help with that.¡± Kurt asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously, fingers still fiddling away with his braided beard as if they had a mind of their own.


    ¡°That¡¯s where Eva here comes in. She¡¯ll get you to an old abandoned shrine in Shikoku for the weekend.¡±


    ¡°And how am I supposed to do that?¡± Eva asked the small animal on her shoulder, while Kurt was just a bit too stumped to respond himself. ¡°And why do I need to get him to Shikoku?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that, but his dad asked me to get him somewhere away from civilization.¡± Ratatoskr said with a shrug, before pulling a small post it note from somewhere and jumping onto Kurt, slapping it to his brow. ¡°And that¡¯s how you¡¯ll take him there.¡±


    The note now stuck to the poor man¡¯s face simply read ¡®That old abandoned Mountain temple I found in shikoku.¡¯


    With a defeated sigh, Eva stepped closer and picked up a very surprised Kurt. ¡°Huh it does work, you got a return note as well?¡± She inquired as she felt the tug of an invisible red thread once again.


    ¡°Yup, here you go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± With those words Eva took the second post it note, and walked up to the torii at the closer end of the bridge. Just as she was about to step onto the foxroad, Kurt managed to get hold of his senses again. ¡°Wait what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Delivering live cargo.¡± the Kitsune replied with a playful smirk as she stepped through the torii.

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 8

    ¡°I¡¯m not just some package to be car-¡± Kurt complained, but fell into a wide eyed silence. He had realized they were not on the small red bridge mid sentence. Eva turned her head to watch his eyes flick every which way, trying to see every Torii around them at once.


    ¡°Welcome to what I call the foxroad.¡± Eva said before setting her friend down from her shoulders. ¡°Now come, we need to go this way.¡± Eva said before tugging on Kurts wrist.


    ¡°How do you even know where to go?¡± Kurt wondered aloud, his head turning left and right as quickly as his neck allowed. ¡°I can¡¯t even tell most of these gates appart.¡±[1]


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking when I said I am delivering live cargo.¡± The Kitsune offered with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡°Well not entirely.¡±


    ¡°That is not an explanation.¡± He stated, arms crossed before his chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best I got.¡± Eva sighed, shoulders and ears drooping down. ¡°Not like all this came with a manual.¡± She continued, waiving a hand to each of her tails.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask someone else for instructions though?¡±


    ¡°Whom? Ratatoskr only shares with others what helps him. Or if he finds it funny. I had to figure out, on my own, how dangerous breaking a promise could be... before Komaki confirmed as much."


    ¡°And what about other Kitsune? Surely you can¡¯t be the only one?¡± Kurt suggested, stroking his beard.


    "As far as I know, I might well be. I''ve yet to meet another." She grumbled with a shake of her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s. Unfortunate.¡± He muttered, finally stopping looking at all the shrine gates around them. ¡°You tried asking Ratatoskr for an introduction yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope, didn¡¯t think of it.¡± Eva confessed as she stopped next to a stone torii. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to ask him any favors any time soon.¡±


    At that Kurt shrugged. ¡±Suit yourself Fuchs. Just thought it would be the easiest solution.¡± Stopping next to the Kitsune, brow furrowed, he continued. ¡°And why are we stopping? This the one you¡¯ve been looking for?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Eva stated, her hand brushing over the moss at the base of a pillar.


    ¡°Do you need to carry me out again?¡±


    ¡°Unless you know how to step through a torii the right way.¡± The Kitsune replied with a light smile on her lips.


    ¡°Well here we go again.¡±Kurt mumbled as he climbed onto Eva¡¯s back.


    Stepping through the time worn stone gate, the pair was greeted by the breathtaking view of a wooded mountain side. The dark brown tree trunks in front of them gave way to a narrow valley. The opposing slope was as tightly packed with trees as the mountain they had found themselves on. The small dirt path down the mountain before them took a sharp turn to the left, and presumably continued down the mountain slope in a serpentine fashion out of sight.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Turning around they saw a massive, ancient looking pagoda. Its walls seemed to be made from the same stone as the gate they had stepped through. While it was not as noticeable, there were still batches of moss growing all over it. Behind it the Forest was remarkably sparse, allowing them to see a hint of the pacific ocean between the trees and the mountains before them.


    As Eva enjoyed this breathtaking glimpse of nature, she could faintly make out the full moon rising. But just a few seconds later the sound of rustling leaves and falling fabric demanded her attention. Turning around again, she noticed Kurt had stepped behind a few trees, and was getting naked for whatever reason as the Sun started to slowly set behind him.[2]


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She shouted, eyes wide and tails twitching.


    ¡°Not all of us can just make new clothes appear from thin air or leaves.¡±[3] Kurt replied as if that was a helpful answer.


    ¡°Why would you need new clothes in the middle of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°Just give it a few more moments and you¡¯ll see.¡± Kurt said enigmaticly, staying mostly out of sight behind the trees.


    The Kitsune stepped closer to the Torii if she needed to get away quickly, even being stranded at a random shrine anywhere else might do for that. But still she waited for whatever it would be the other German thought would explain his strange behaviour.


    Soon the sounds of rustling leaves, breaking twigs and cracking bones could be heard from Kurt¡¯s position. Between the trees she could only get glimpses of his body twisting. What looked like a tail was visible for only a blink before flicking out of sight again. A muzzle seemed to push forward the one moment she could see his head.


    While it seemed to have taken an eternity, the fact that the sun had yet to sink even halfway below the western horizon indicated it had only been minutes. Stepping out of the shadows of the tree was a canine about the same size as her family''s dog. The pointed ears stood at attention as the black and grey furred animal stepped onto the path. With the orange rays of the setting sun playing over it¡¯s fur, and the tree¡¯s shadows stretching besides it, the wolf had become the centerpiece of a majestic scenery.


    But as it opened it¡¯s jaws, as if to let out a fearsome howl to enhance the image, the impression was shattered for Eva. ¡°So surprise I guess?¡±

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 9

    <div>


    Misreading the fallen expression on the Kitsune¡¯s face, Kurt spoke up. ¡°Am I that weird or scary, Miss climbs-onto-balconies-as-a-fox?¡± Tilting his head to the side a bit, he awaited her response.


    ¡°Ah, no, not really.¡± Eva admits with a shake of her head. ¡°You¡¯re not even close to how weird some of the things that happened recently to me were.¡± After giving him a shrug, she continues with a chuckle. ¡°And I¡¯d be more scared of my family¡¯s Newfoudland Dog running up to greet me.¡±


    Ears drooping a bit, the Werewolf spoke up, still having a human voice coming out of a lupine snout. ¡°Am I really less scary than a dog?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And if you had ever seen 70kg of dog running up to you at full speed you¡¯d agree.¡± Eva countered, crossing her arms before her chest.


    ¡°70kg?¡± Kurt shouted, eyes wide open, tail sticking up straight.


    ¡°Well we are talking about dogs big enough you can easily miss a walnut stuck between their toes.¡±


    ¡°You sure those are really dogs?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She replied accompanied by a quick nod. ¡°But anyways, what are we going to do tonight?¡±


    ¡°Same thing we do every night Fuchs, try to take over the world.¡±[1] Kurt replied, his tail wagging, while he tried his best to keep a straight face. For a wolf at least.


    After trying, and failing, to suppress a chuckle, the Kitsune spoke up again. ¡°Okay, but seriously, what are you going to do all night?¡±


    ¡°Have fun, enjoy the night, jump some fallen trees.¡± The wolf before her replied giving his best approximation of a shrug.


    ¡°Uhuh.¡± came the doubtfilled response.


    ¡°Have you ever taken the time to just spend a night running around as an animal?¡± Kurt inquired, paws scraping over the ground. ¡°It¡¯s quite a nice way to just leave all the stress of the month behind.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± Eva admitted, tail swishing lethargical behind her. ¡°Even if I thought of it, I doubt there¡¯s a park large enough to run the whole night in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°Ah true.¡± The werewolf conceded. ¡°But we aren¡¯t in Tokyo tonight are we?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So go turn into a fox and then we go explore.¡± Kurt urged her, his tail flicking from side to side with vigour. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I wont peek.¡±


    ¡°As if.¡± Eva said as she leaned forward. A moment later she landed on all fours, once again in the shape of a white fox.¡±See no chance of peeking anyways.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Instead of dignifying that with a response, Kurt lunged forward. After gently squeezing one of her tails with his jaws, he ran off shouting ¡°Tag your it.¡±


    Before she could process what had happened, the werewolf had already vanished between the trees all around them.


    ¡°So he¡¯s a hyperactive puppy now huh?¡± Eva mused as she decided to give chase, preferring the childish game to just loitering around for the moment.


    While she had at times hiked through forests, running through one like she did now was a vastly different experience. Not only did she normally stick to established paths, she also had a much better vantage point from being bipedal. Now every bush, or even just larger tree roots, obscured her vision noticeably.


    This forced her to rely more and more on her vulpine nose to follow Kurt instead of looking for signs of where he might have gone.


    Of course, the moment she closed her eyes to focus more on the smell, like she did back when she was just human, Eva ran into a tree. Luckily she hadn¡¯t been running at full speed and thus was more surprised then actually hurt. As she got back up again she quickly shook her head. Less to actually deal with the minor disorientation or pain, and more over disappointment in herself.


    But before she could go back to trailing her friend, Kurt¡¯s head appeared above one of the bushes giving her such trouble.


    ¡°There you are. Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Eva mumbled. ¡°Just getting used to not seeing where I¡¯m going.¡±


    Before he could reply, she took a page out of his book. After smacking one of her tails into the side of Kurt¡¯s head, Eva took off. While it was still a surreal experience to rush through the forest like this, without having to bother tracking the werewolf she at least had no issues avoiding obstacles.


    For a few hours more the duo continued in this fashion, before Eva ended up falling into a small stream. On its small banks they rested for a while. Of course, after that, Kurt did his best to get Eva to continue running through the woods. To the small animals that lived here, the two predators were a terrifying threat. Even if they did only actually hunt them once or twice.


    Neither of them noticed the young raven that kept an eye on them, her curved beak shining in the light of the full moon.


    </article>

 The 1st Delivery: Chapter 10

    When she noticed the moon nearing the horizon once again, Eva got up from the patch of soft moss she had napped on. Looking around she soon spotted Kurt amidst the vegetation all around them. From the looks of it he was finally done running around all night like a hyperactive puppy. Squeezing through the bushes between them and hopping over some roots, she made her way to his side.


    ¡°Probably should have asked earlier.¡± The snow white fox began. ¡°When are you going to turn back?¡±


    ¡°Well I can turn back once the moon has set.¡± The werewolf admitted. ¡°Though I¡¯d prefer to wait till morning. Sleeping outdoors in October is much more comfortable with fur.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean you can control your transformation?!¡±


    ¡°Except for when the full moon is in the sky.¡± Kurt elaborated with a facsimile of a shrug. ¡°But it hurts like a bitch. And then there¡¯s the urge to show off my physical prowess when in this form.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva replied with a nod, one of her ears flicking to the side. ¡°Explains why you needed to get out here, a wolf running all over Tokyo like a lost, hyperactive puppy would have drawn way too many eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, especially seeing as the Japanese wolf has been extinct for over a century.¡±[1]


    This sad fact hung heavily in the air for a second or two before Eva spoke up again.


    ¡°Anyway. If you can change back once the moon has set, why don¡¯t we head back asap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not try to get around at this time of night in a city I¡¯m not quite familiar with yet.¡±


    ¡°Well if that¡¯s the only issue, we do have a handful of spare rooms. There you could sleep on an actual bed. Or well a futon at least.¡±


    ¡°In that case I might just take you up on that.¡± Kurt said as he stretched his limbs. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to that mountain shrine before we¡¯re in complete darkness.¡±


    With a quick nod, the fox followed the wolf. Backtracking their semi random wanderings through the undisturbed wilderness was not made any easier by the moonlight slowly fading. But in the end they did manage to get back to where Kurt had hidden his clothes just before the last sliver of the moon dipped below the horizon.


    Moments later the duo, once more in human shapes, carefully made their way to the torii, their path now lit up by Kurt¡¯s phone. Following the mental tug from the return post-it-note, Eva quickly guided them across the foxroad and back to Mumeikitsune.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    There the two of them, Eva once again in the guise of a fox, carefully and quietly made their way inside and up to the second floor. Once she had shown him to an empty room ready for guests, the Kitsune made her way to her own room and collapsed onto her dog bed.


    Only a second later she had dozed of.


    Later that Sunday Morning


    ¡°So you are a German wolf Youkai, Mr. Wagner?¡± Yukiko inquired, trying to confirm her understanding of what the two exchange students had just explained to the other residents.


    ¡°Kind of.¡± Kurt conceded with a nod. Leaning a bit to the side so Toya could put the last of the Breakfast on the table he continued. ¡°Thank you. So Yukiko, how does a Yuki-Onna end up living in the middle of Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°I hope to train as a Maiko next year.¡±[2] She replied after finishing her sip of miso soup. ¡°And to get a bit of a head start, instead of going to Highschool. But as teachers for traditional arts are rather rare in mountain villages, Mom arranged for me to work and stay here once I finished middle school.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Mind showing me what you have practiced so far some time?¡± Kurt inquired before a knock on the door demanded someone¡¯s, in this case Eva¡¯s, attention.


    As the Kitsune left the table to answer the door, she stopped following the conversation between the two.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Eva said to whomever might be knocking this early on a sunday as she opened the door. But she was only greeted by confusion when she didn¡¯t see anyone on the other side of the door.


    That is until an annoyed sounding bark drew her attention towards the ground where a white fox had dropped a red envelope. Before she could say anything though, the fox had looked her in the eyes and run off.


    Picking up the envelope, it turned out to be addressed to herself. More precisely to the Kami of Mumeikitsune. Closing the door again she returned to the others and opened it.


    ¡°Dear Kami-sama,¡± it began, ¡°I invite you once again to our annual get together. This year it will take place on a chartered ship. The Details are found on the enclosed tickets. Yours sincerely ¨­-miya-hime.¡±[3]


    Looking over the other contents of the envelope, it turned out that this event would take place in two weeks time over the course of a weekend.


    Well hopefully I¡¯ll find someone there to get some actual answers from, Eva thought as she turned to her so far untouched breakfast.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 1

    Monday had snuck up on Eva much more quickly then she had expected. Kurt had spent most of the afternoon with them at the shrine and gotten to know everyone there. Though luckily he had declined when Komaki had invited him to stay for dinner and some drinks afterwards. Eva wasn¡¯t sure if she would have been able to sit in this class and pretend to listen otherwise.


    Not that the topic of the biology behind yeast fermenting sugar into alcohol wasn¡¯t interesting mind you. But given that she had written exams on this already, and even given some lectures to lower semesters on it, Eva was confident there wasn¡¯t anything new.


    Instead she had been using the time to look up more information, well as much as there was on the internet at least, about the weekend cruise she had been invited to.


    The shipping company that owned the boat regularly offered weekend trips. A lot of which were basically the same as the one she had been invited to. It was a simple weekend trip from Osaka around some nearby islands and then back to Osaka.


    Well at least the scenery will be nice. Eva mused as her research, and the lecture, neared its end. Though hopefully I¡¯ll get more than a nice trip out of it.


    With the class over, she quickly packed her things and headed out of the building. Deciding to make the most of her rather long break before the next class, Eva moved to leave the campus. After walking a few minutes , she ducked into an empty alley and took the small bundle she had picked up in the morning out of her bag. Realizing the shrine it was headed for was only a few more streets down the road, she decided to just walk there.


    It only took a few more minutes to get there. And she even managed to grab some dango for lunch on the way. Though the moment she stepped onto the shrine grounds, after washing her hands and rinsing her mouth of course, the former human realized a minor issue with her approach. The delivery was supposed to be dropped off in the Honden. Unsure how to tackle that issue right then and there, Eva decided to walk to the shrine¡¯s donation box for now and pretend to give a short prayer. Most of the grounds around her was taken up by an immaculately kept gravel garden. Following the only path across it, she noticed how none of the visitors seemed to pay the handful of Miko tending to the shrine grounds any attention.


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    Ducking behind a corner to be out of sight from most people, Eva Transformed her clothes to match the outfits worn by the Miko, then she circled around the building she had hid behind. Common visitors would now probably not spare her a second glance with her clothes and quickly tied ponytail matching the other girls working here. While those working at the shrine would probably notice her soon, they were hopefully aware of the duty she was carrying out. And if they had an issue with the mailfox doing her job, they might be working the wrong job. Eva thought to herself as she quickly walked to the Honden to deliver her package.


    Sliding the door open barely enough to get in, she kept her gaze to the floor. After all, this chamber was only opened to the public a few times each year. Not to mention that she did not want to disturb anyone actually living here. But as she slid the door closed behind her, only silence greeted her. Unsure where to leave the delivery, Eva decided to follow her gut and put it before a small mirror mounted on a moderately sized podest.


    Her work finished, Eva decided to leave quietly, careful not to disturb anything. Of course, as she stepped outside a stern looking priest was about to come in after her. As he saw the young woman step outside he began to speak rapidly.


    While the Kitsune could not follow his words, the quiet but angry tone of his voice conveyed enough of his meaning. After making sure there were no others nearby, she slowly let her ears take on a more vulpine appearance. It took a moment for the priest to notice the change, but as the ears flicked towards him, he slowed down, his tone becoming more neutral.


    ¡°Who are you? And what were you doing inside?¡±


    ¡°Just your average divine messenger.¡± Eva began to reply with a smile. ¡°I thought a fox running across the gardens would draw more attention then a miko. So I delivered in this guise.¡± ¡°Hmph.Then I ask you to leave now that your duties are fulfilled.¡± The priest finished grumpily, before turning away and returning to his normal obligations. Doing as she was asked, Eva turned to leave. But before she had gotten far a raven came flying right towards her mumbling fast and excitedly in Japanese.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 2

    ¡°Hey settle down.¡± Eva asked the over excited black bird that was flying right in front of her face. Holding an arm up for the bird to sit on for now she continued. ¡°I can¡¯t follow what you¡¯re saying at this pace.¡±


    ¡°Oh. sorry.¡± The raven replied as she perched on the offered limb. ¡°It¡¯s just.. I finally got all the way to Tokyo. And right the first shrine I notice is yours.¡± She finishes her explanation with an excited chirp before looking excitedly at Eva.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t my shrine as such.¡± The Kitsune admits as she slowly walks towards an even more out of sight corner of the shrines more mundane visitors. ¡°Though why are you looking for me? Did Mumei owe you something you want to cash in?¡±


    ¡°Who is Mumei?¡± The Raven inquires, her head turned to the left. ¡°I just got curious after seeing you and your friend on the weekend. And I heard you say Tokyo, and you left through the Torii, so I thought I¡¯d find you in this town.¡± After a short moment the bird added. ¡°Which is waaay bigger than I thought possible.¡±


    Hearing this, Eva brought her free right hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. ¡°So why would our trip to the mountains prompt you to fly all the way here from Shikoku? Not to mention this fast.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that fast.¡± The bird comments as she ruffles her wings. ¡°Took most of yesterday to get here.¡± Poking her head under her wing, she continued. ¡°As for why youarethefirstyoukaimyageimet.¡±


    ¡°Mind repeating that last bit once more?¡± Eva inquired. ¡°A bit slower this time, please.¡±


    ¡°You are the first Youkai my age I met.¡± The bird mumbled burying her head even deeper under her wing.


    Giving a deep sigh, Eva pulled a small block of post-it-notes out of her sleeve. ¡°Mind if we move this somewhere less likely to be overheard then?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The bird concurred with a tiny nod. After which she hopped to the ground. As Eva was writing ¡®place nearby two youkai can talk privately¡¯ on her note, the black bird began balancing a fallen leaf on her head. As the Kitsune finished her writing, she noticed the bird perform a backflip.


    As she flew through the air though, her form began to stretch and warp, until a young woman landed on her feet. Her shoulder length black hair had more than a few black feathers in it. The face framed by the black locks and feathers was rather pale, reddish brown eyes flanking a long, surprisingly curved nose. The smaller woman only came up to Eva¡¯s nose and was wearing a traditional outfit sewn from rather simple cloth. The kimono was dyed an uneven green, while the Obi holding it together was brown and embroidered with black and white thread. On her feet the former bird wore a pair of geta sandals made from black wood. The sandal''s stilt like, single teeth also made her stand at least ten centimeters taller.


    After blinking a couple times, Eva bent down to pick up a random stone. As she attached the note to it she commented. ¡°I was not expecting you to do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. And here I expected a talking human to be less suspicious than a talking bird.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Eva replied as she began to pick up where they should head to have this talk with a bit more privacy. ¡°Just surprised you could do that.¡±


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    ¡°Ah.¡± the other woman replied as she followed after the Kitsune. Despite her awkward choice of footwear she easily kept the same pace as Eva, who had changed her clothing into a more casual combination of plaited skirt and hoodie.


    The next quarter hour or so they were traversing the streets of Tokyo more or less silently. Eva¡¯s companion oohed and aahed at just about every example of modern technology they came across though. The only thing she seemed to be familiar with were the cars driving nearby. In fact she seemed to be somewhat scared of them even, as she flinched noticeably the first few times one passed the duo. All in all though, Eva was glad she hadn¡¯t tried to smash a TV to free the tiny people in it.


    Towards the end of their walk,they were guided into smaller and smaller alleys, until they arrived at a set of small stairs. According to the sign next to them, they lead down towards a small bar. Next to the entrance was a statue of a Tanuki that seemed to be eyeing both women suspiciously as they stepped inside.


    ¡°I think you ladies got a bit lost.¡± Said the bartender the moment he saw them step inside.


    ¡°Why, are you closed?¡± Eva replied, while the former bird was preoccupied marvelling at a lightbulb.


    ¡°No, we are open alright. To a very exclusive selection of clientele.¡±


    Thinking over what she had written on the note not even half an hour ago, Eva inquired further. ¡°Exclusive huh? Not more like mythological?¡±


    The bartender narrowed his eyes as he responded. ¡°What are you getting at, young lady?¡±


    Before Eva could elaborate, the door behind her opened again, and a familiar voice filled the room. ¡°Hey Yo, mind preparing the usual?¡±As the new arrival noticed Eva standing before him, he continued. ¡°Hey Eva didn¡¯t know you knew about this place. Why are these girls still standing in the doorway Yo?¡±


    ¡°Because I have no idea who they are. And am not just about to let some random humans into my bar. You should be well aware of what happened the last time, Ratatoskr.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Though you might want to be aware that Eva here is Mumei¡¯s successor. And we both know what happens if you break a promise to a Kitsune.¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t inherited though are they?¡± The Bartender replied while mixing whatever the Squirrel had ordered.


    ¡°Well Mumei always officiated all oaths as the Kami of Mumeikitsune. Are you willing to take the risk that those oaths aren¡¯t transferred to the new Kami?¡± Ratatoskr countered with a smirk.


    After a shudder visibly crawled down Yo¡¯s back, he turned to the women in his bar. ¡°So what would you lovely ladies want?¡±


    ¡°A table to talk where we won¡¯t be overheard by random humans.¡±


    ¡°Of course, just sit down at one you like. Anything to drink? It¡¯s on the house.¡±


    ¡°Not right now, thank you.¡± Eva replied as she turned and tried to get her companions attention, before leading her to a table in the back.


    After they both sat down, Eva was the first to talk. ¡°So how about we start over from the beginning with some introductions. I¡¯m Eva Mayer, a freshly minted Kitsune, Kami and exchange student from Germany.¡±


    ¡°Ah nice to meet you. I am Karasuza.¡±

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 3

    ¡°Okay and what exactly are you?¡± Eva inquired while slowly leaning across the table.


    ¡°Ah that¡¯s a bit complicated.¡± The other woman replied, wringing her hands. ¡°See my Father is a Tengu, but mom was a Tanuki.¡± Interrupting herself, Karasuza gave a heavy sigh. ¡°Which leaves me somewhere in between.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ new.¡± Eva admitted, leaning back into her seat. ¡°Though it kinda explains why you can turn into a human.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. And I can also kinda float around like Father.¡± The other Youkai offered.


    Filling that tidbit of information away for later, Eva was unsure what to ask, until the first words Karasuza had said to ehr came back to mind.


    ¡°Soo, why would you fly all the way to meet someone you assumed to be your age?¡±


    ¡°Because for the last decade Father didn¡¯t let me roam further than the nearby farming villages.¡± Came the prompt reply. ¡°So the ones closest to my age were the elderly villagers too stubborn to leave for a town.¡±[1]


    ¡°Wait a minute, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°18 Summers. Which makes it rather hard when the next youngest person around is nearly 4 times your age.¡±Karasuza explained, finishing off with a deep sigh.


    As her tails shimmered back into existence, Eva gave them both a demonstrative flick while she contiued her inquiries. ¡°So why would you think I was close to your age? Not that you¡¯re wrong, just curious.¡±


    ¡°Well you two were running around like hyperactive puppies. So I assumed you couldn''t really be older than myself.¡± Came the prompt reply from the avian youkai as a blush crept onto Eva¡¯s cheeks.


    Before she could respond though, an insistent notification from her phone reminded Eva that her lunch break was nearly over.


    ¡°Schei?e, completely forgot about that.¡± Turning to where a certain mythological squirrel was drinking she shouted. ¡°Hey Ratatoskr.¡± As he looked over to her, Eva continued. ¡°I got to run, mind looking after Karasuza here? Or at least taking her to meet Toya?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°I still have that bottle of Blutwurz.[2] You do this for me and it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    ¡°Fiiiine.¡± Ratatoskr relented, the excitement in his eyes a clear contrast to his reluctant attitude. Coming over, he hopped on to the table Karusaza was still sitting at. While they did start a conversation soon after that, Eva was already rushing out the moment the squirrel had agreed to help. After all, the next class was about the history of alcohol in Japan.


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    Later that day


    Returning to her shrine once all classes had concluded, Eva spotted a newly familiar face. Karasuza, dressed in a Miko¡¯s garments, was busy raking up the leaves that had fallen from the handful of trees on the grounds. Though looking closely, a gentle breeze helped her a lot with that task.


    ¡°Oh hey Karasuza. Sorry for leaving in a hurry earlier.¡± The Kitsune greeted her as she walked over.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Eva.¡± Karasuza said as she stopped her work. Though she did not stop the breeze that still nudged the leaves together. ¡°I really enjoyed talking to Toya.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Giving her new attire a pointed look, Eva continued. ¡°So you¡¯ll be staying for a while I take it?¡±


    ¡°Only the week for now. Father¡¯s already going to be angry about me running off.¡±The younger woman explained with a smile. ¡° So why not stay a bit and help you all with your festival.¡±


    ¡°Well, if Komaki says it¡¯s alright. I am sure an extra pair of hands will come in handy.¡± With a short wave Eva left Karasuza to her work for the moment and made her way inside to drop off her things. Turning her clothes into an outfit fitting for her part-time job once again, the Kitsune joined the other Miko outside. Which allowed Yukiko to leave in time for her tea ceremony class.


    During the bouts of conversation between taking care of visitors that needed help and keeping everything tidy, Eva ended up learning quite a bit about her newest acquaintance. The most saddening thing was easily the reason why her father forbade her to leave their home mountain and the surrounding valley.


    After her mother had been run over by a truck on the highway just beyond that valley, he had grown extremely overprotective of his daughter. He was apparently also extremely paranoid as, in his words, ¡®humans are overdue for more wars¡¯.


    Though there were some less worrisome things as well. For one Karasuza had made the clothes she had worn earlier herself. From Weaving and dyeing the cloth to the embroidery on the obi. She also claimed to be a quite skilled cook, though proof of that would have to wait for dinner.


    Which was going to be earlier than usual that night, as they would need time to prepare themselves, and the handful of volunteers from the neighbourhood, for the first ritual of the festival preparations.[3]

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 4

    Late that afternoon, the now bigger group of Youkai living at Mumeikitsune ate a short, cold dinner. As it had been known they¡¯d have little time that evening, Toya had prepared it in advance.


    During it, Komaki gave Karasuza a quick rundown of what she could expect that evening and stressing that she should not come into contact with anything deceased for the rest of the week.[1] Immediately afterwards, while Toya was cleaning up, Eva and Yukiko headed to their small storage shed to retrieve the clothes everyone would be wearing that night, as well as a number of extra towels. The Kitsune had been handed a dozen or so strips of fabric, which the Yuki-Onna claimed were loincloths, while Yukiko was carrying half a dozen folded up white yukata and the towels.


    Once back inside, they had barely enough time to put everything where it was needed. The loincloths and an equal number of towels were put in the main room, while the yukata and remaining towels were put into the small tatami room just as the first of the volunteers arrived.


    ¡°Ah good evening Ms. Mayer.¡± The young woman that had just stepped inside greeted the Kitsune waiting just beyond the genkan.


    ¡°Evening Miss Unagi. Nice to see you. Though I thought most people helping with the festival wouldn¡¯t actually come today?¡± Eva replied as she waited for the other woman to take off her shoes before guiding her to the tatami room.


    With a polite chuckle, Hanako responded. ¡°Well I can¡¯t be the only member of the local volunteer firefighters not here today.¡±[2] With a short sigh she continued her explanation as she closed the sliding door behind them. ¡°Not to mention old Mrs. Matsumoto for some reason couldn¡¯t volunteer this year, so I¡¯ll be filling in for her.¡±


    ¡°I hope she is alright?¡± Eva inquired as the business woman began to take off her suit.


    ¡°Oh yes, she just said she wouldn¡¯t have the time this year for some reason.¡± Hanako explained as she looked away for a moment, before the young German handed her one of the yukata before she began to undress as well.


    As the two were changing, an elderly lady stepped in, followed by Yukiko and Karasuza. She greeted Ms. Unagi relatively friendly, but as her eyes fell on Eva confidently putting on the pure white garment, she fell silent, her mouth drawing a thin line.


    Moments later, Toya, in the same guise as when he pretends to be a miko, stepped inside and began to change as well.


    Once they were all changed, they sat down and waited for Komaki, or one of the male volunteers, to let them know everyone was changed. Which did take a couple more minutes.


    When they finally stepped into the main room again, the men waiting for them were all only wearing a loincloth to cover the bare essentials.


    Walking out last, Eva noticed the blush on Hanako¡¯s cheek when the other woman spotted Mr. Mori. But before she could comment on that, the older woman took a hold of Eva¡¯s shoulder and gently, but firmly, guided her to the front of the group of females as everyone lined up to step outside.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.As the Kitsune was about to inquire why the older woman had pushed her to this position, one of the men already lined up before her turned around, and after a quick look at Eva, took a firm grip of her shoulder. And as he guided her to the very front of the line, he rambled quickly in Japanese, and Eva couldn¡¯t quite make up her mind if he was sounding apologetic or proud.


    When the whole procession finally started to move, their destination the small path down to the stream next to the bridge, Komaki began to loudly chant a Norito prayer.[3] As he was reciting a line before each step he took, progress was surprisingly slow. This was especially hard the closer their walk came to its end. As Komaki did not speed up once he had reached the stream, and Eva knew from the explanations that they were expected to walk downstream a step after each line until all were in the stream.


    At least everyone standing upstream of her[4] meant she had no problems at all with the stream''s mild current. Once everyone was in position, Komaki quickly finished the last repetition of the first Norito, before beginning to chant a different one. As instructed, this time after each line they all cupped some of the streams icy cold water in their hands and poured it over their head. After the first verse, they sat down in the stream, repeating the water pouring for the second verse¡¯s lines. With each handful of water, it felt as if a pressure Eva hadn¡¯t known she was under vanished.


    This repeated until the end of the prayer, when Komaki stepped out of the water, quick but orderly followed by the single file line of volunteers, Eva now at the very end. While all of them were freezing by now, a few of them were even shivering, no one seemed to be in a rush to get back to the towels and their clothes.


    As everyone began to dry themselves off, Toya brought out a pair of large thermos with tea he passed around so everyone could warm themselves up a bit as they slowly filled inside to change back into their own clothes.


    Once everyone was changed, Komaki reminded them all that they would need to avoid direct contact with anything deceased, from picking up a dead animal to eating meat or fish for the rest of the week. And to contact him immediately in case of accidental contact.


    ¡°So you two are old enough to drink aren¡¯t you?¡± Yujiro Mori said loudly as he clamped a hand on Eva and Karasuza¡¯s[5] shoulders. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with us? We always celebrate the start of these preparations at Mr. Murata¡¯s bar.¡±


    Noticing the unsure look on the young woman¡¯s faces he quickly continued. ¡°I just thought, since you two are old enough, it would be nice for Hanako to not be the only woman.¡±


    While Karasuza was clearly ready to join in, it must have been easy enough to read Eva¡¯s unspoken concerns, as he expanded his offer once again. ¡°And he has an All-you-can-drink offer with a sizable student discount.¡± Relenting in the face of cheap alcohol and a chance to meet new people, Eva relented with a sigh. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll come.¡±

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 5

    The walk to the bar was a bit longer than Eva had expected. Though much of the time was spent quietly chatting. While most of the conversations were between the locals, and very hard to follow at times, a few were curious about both Karasuza and Eva.


    To her surprise, it seemed the younger youkai was rather short in her replies and didn¡¯t give anything that should stay secret away. The Kitsune herself had gotten quite good by now at giving the half truths of how and why she was staying and working at the Shrine. Allegedly, Komaki had seen her help an injured fox. And after talking to her about it, Eva¡¯s interest in the culture, and a sign from the Kami, which she as an outsider hadn¡¯t even noticed, he insisted that she should come and stay at least for the Weekend. From there, one thing supposedly had led to another and here they now were.[1]


    That story seemed to be satisfactory, though it caused some to give quick, concerned glances back towards where they had come from.


    Once they arrived at the Bar, a waitress quickly showed them to a sideroom with tatami mat flooring and a big but low table. With the two extra people around it was a tight fit, but in the end everyone ended up with enough space to comfortably eat the edamame they were all served shortly after sitting down. Eva and Karasuza ended up squeezed in between Ms. Unagi and Mr. Mori. Though weirdly both of them seemed relieved and disappointed at the younger women between them, with how their gaze hushed past them to the other for moments, and the mildly sighs they gave when they quickly looked away again.


    Before Eva could inquire about that though, everyone was served some Sake. Once all cups had been served, one of the older firefighters stood up.


    ¡°Once again we have gathered to mark the beginning of preparations.


    Once more we will celebrate how everyone worked together to rebuild after fires in times long past.


    And for once there were some young people old enough to join our table working at the shrine.


    But this first cup I raise in the memory of the old lady Mumei. As she liked to say, do not weep for who you lost. Rejoice in the memories you made together.


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    Kampai!¡±


    ¡°Kampai!¡± came the echo from around the table. With the cups quickly drained their evening of drinking began. Eva herself used the opportunity to slowly go through every Sake on the menu, with some water every now and again as well as some more snacks to not get drunk as fast.


    A few hours, and a lot of alcohol, down the line, Ms. Unagi excused herself, as she did have to get up early for work the next day. After she left, with a surprising amount of apologies for leaving[2], Yujiro turned to the only women left with them. In a low voice he cautiously asked slowly and carefully, his reddened skin showing how drunk he already was.. ¡°So do you two have any clue whom Komaki will gift this year¡¯s mask?¡±


    With her eyes quickly flicking to Eva for a moment, Karasuza quickly replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the Kami who decides who receives that gift? Not Komaki?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes of course.¡± He responded, rubbing his neck as he looked down to his glass of beer. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit nervous you see. Only a few of us haven''t gotten one before, and I-I kinda hope for this year to be my turn.¡±


    ¡°Any reason why it should be this year in particular?¡± Eva inquired, Leaning forward a bit to look past Karasuza.¡°Ah, nothing particularly important you see-¡± was as far as he got before all alcohol finally got to him and he slumped back asleep. Trying her best to stop him hitting the wall too hard, the only thing Eva succeeded at was falling over as well. Slowly staggering to her feet with the direly needed help of the younger woman and the wall she spoke up. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to get back.¡±¡°Yeah.¡± She replied before leaning down and emptying the flask her own and evas sake came in in one go. ¡°I doubt I could help you home if you got anymore drunk.¡±Pulling one of Eva¡¯s arms over her shoulders, Karasuza began to guide and mildly drag the Kitsune out, giving a few excuses along the way to those still coherent enough to care about manners. Luckily they were quite alone on the sidewalks, so noone noticed the strong gusts of wind that kept Eva from falling.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 6

    A couple of days later, preparations for the Festival were in full swing. Some of the stalls with food, games, and everything else were already lining the streets, while some others were still being set up.


    As her last class of the day had been canceled due to the professor falling ill, Eva had returned earlier than expected and was promptly conscripted to help with setting up things on the shrine grounds. After quickly dropping her things in her room, she watched outside as a group of helpers from the neighbourhood association directed a small truck reversing up to the outermost Torii.


    Walking up to one of the helpers, identified as such by the light blue and red happi coats they were all wearing, Eva decided to strike up a conversation while they waited.


    ¡°Hello. Do you know what they are delivering there right now?¡± she inquired, while slipping on an identical coat and tying her light brown hair into a ponytail.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the exchange student helping out this year right?¡± The young man greeted her while turning towards the new arrival. ¡°Yamada volunteered himself to transport equipment from the Association¡¯s community center to the shrine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so how can I lend a hand?¡±


    ¡°Well the more people help with unloading the sooner she can drive off to get the next load. The wooden screens should be dropped somewhere over there,¡± he explained, motioning towards the decent sized, for Tokyo at least, lawn between the stream flowing across the grounds and the fence separating the shrine from the sidewalk.


    ¡°The rest can just be put down right here for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡± Eva replied somewhat enthusiastically as she walked over and lined up to grab one of the wooden panels that had just begun to get unloaded. While the individual panels weren¡¯t actually that heavy, their sheer size, about twice as long as Eva was tall, and a little wider as well, still made it awkward to carry them around.


    Half an hour later, the truck¡¯s first load had been off loaded. While Mrs. Yamada took off to get the next set of materials from storage, the Kitsune had been handed a pair of wrenches. Together with a couple volunteers with basic knowledge of how to use said tools, they were assembling the panels into one long wall.


    Which was rather strange, as all the stalls were supposed to be outside on the smaller streets and sidewalks.


    ¡°So what is this wall going to be used for.¡± Eva inquired of a nearby volunteer as she stood up and let her hazel eyes wander, spotting another group of volunteers stomping around on some fresh earth.


    ¡°It¡¯s to make sure no stray arrows end up hurting someone.¡± A friendly voice from behind her informed her. Looking over her shoulder she noticed it was the same guy from earlier that had coordinated the offloading. ¡°After all the local middle schools Kyudo club will be holding the main showcase this year, not to mention the fact some over enthusiastic amateurs will give it a try.¡±


    As she leaned down, Eva loosened the nut holding another small bolt in place while thinking how obvious that was. If one did not forget about the Kyudo and Sumo events people mentioned when explaining what would be happening.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Eva replied as she slid the bolt through it¡¯s hole to connect the next wooden panel. ¡°Then the group over there is preparing the Sumo ring?¡±


    ¡°The foundation of it, yes.¡± Came the prompt reply as the man finished tightening a different bolt. ¡°Though they¡¯re also spreading that dirt to where the food served at the conclusion of the official part of the festival will be cooked. They started that a couple years ago after some dried leaves caught fire to make sure any such flames can¡¯t spread as easily.¡±


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    ¡°That must have been quite dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But luckily the Kami was watching over us all that day. Just as the grass looked like it would catch fire as well, an unexpected rainshower started.¡±


    As Eva was about to respond, their conversation was interrupted by a young boy approaching them with some snacks. Seeing as the boy looked exactly like a younger sibling of Toya¡¯s usual disguise, the Kitsune assumed it was him handing them an Onigiri each before moving on to hand out food to the other volunteers.


    While they quickly ate, Mrs. Yamada returned, prompting them to leave the rest of the as of yet unconnected pieces be, and instead go over and help offload once more. While most of it was the remaining panels for the Kyudo area, the rice-straw for the sumo ring had also been squeezed in.


    When Yukiko joined them setting up the second and third wall, Eva decided to inquire about what else she¡¯d forgotten about the Festivals proceedings already. As the only thing she could clearly recall was that there would be a procession across the neighbourhood, and some form of small feast for the volunteers and staff as it¡¯s conclusion.


    ¡°Well for one there¡¯ll be a small Sumo competition held by the Sumo clubs of the local schools.¡± The Yuki-Onna began to explain in a low voice. ¡°According to Komaki, originally it was just two volunteers wrestling while dressed up as a fox and a merchant. But over the centuries, as Sumo became more widespread and popular, the more theatrical mock fight was replaced with it.¡± She finished with a sigh.


    ¡°Why were they dressed as a fox and a merchant before?¡± Eva asked, head slightly tilted to the side as she looked up from her work.


    Before answering her clearly, Yukiko mumbled something, but the only thing the Kitsune could make out was ¡®Kurt¡¯. ¡°That goes back to the story behind the festival¡¯s establishment people tell.¡± was finally the rely, the stress put in the end reminding Eva that they were talking in public.


    ¡°In case you forgot, the Legend goes that after a fire ravaged this part of Tokyo, foxes would break into those storehouses that had survived, and would drag sacks of grain to the outside for the locals faced with the approach of winter and no way to earn their share of food to find. As they believed those foxes were guided by this shrine¡¯s kami, they created the festival to give their thanks. Part of which they decided would be a reenactment of what they were grateful for.¡±


    ¡°And the Archery thing?¡±


    ¡°That was added during the Meiji-period.¡± Yukiko offered with a shrug. ¡°Komaki never really bothered with why the locals wanted to add it in, as long as they made sure to provide the material needed to do it.¡±


    But before Eva could inquire any further, they were both called over to help hold the first two finished walls as they were joined into a corner.


    Just under an hour later, everything had been finished, with the three thin, wooden walls surrounding a trio of archery targets to stop stray arrows. Besides this improvised archery range was a pair of Sumo rings flanking a small barrel, which Eva was told would contain the salt thrown into them before each match.


    Off to the side a trio of gas burners had been set up with a small wooden roof and couple simple tables, one of which was already lit and heating up a pot of soup. As she slurped on her own bowl of steaming hot Miso Soup, the young Kitsune looked over the shrine grounds, and began to wonder just how this all would look like when the festival itself was in full swing. And when Komaki would tell her what she will be doing during it.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 7

    Saturday afternoon found Eva pacing across her room, tails swishing quickly enough to hit each other from time to time. Looking out of her window, she could already see the crowd of people excitedly waiting for the ceremony to begin. The only place the crowd gave ample space was the area around the palanquin the volunteers from the fire brigade were just now setting down before the bridge across the shrine''s small stream.


    ¡®I wish I could be closer.¡¯ The Kitsune thought as she grumbled to herself. ¡®I hope they¡¯ll all have their fun without me -how did Komaki put it?- Causing a huge scene.¡¯


    As she spotted Yukiko, flanked by the men that had just carried the palanquin, began to cross the bridge, the German turned into a fox and flopped onto her bed so she couldn¡¯t watch anymore and get even more annoyed.


    When the faint sound of drums reached her ears, the snow white fox spirit began to growl at the ceiling. But as the drums began to sound right behind her, she stopped and began flicking her ears around. No matter how she positioned them though, the sound coming from ¡®behind¡¯ her never changed, even though the drum beats creeping in through the window changed as expected with the motion of her ears.


    Moments later, a faint, incomprehensible voice joined the drums she seemed to be imagining. A few seconds after that there was a tug at the base of her skull. While it felt somewhat similar to someone pulling her hair, none of her fur was stuck under her enough to cause this discomfort. For just a moment the tug seemed to fade away again, prompting a relieved sigh from Eva.


    Before it returned suddenly in force, ripping me backwards, without actually moving me. As I looked around, there was nothing I could clearly make out, except for three circles filled with different images. Two showed near identical views of the ceiling and walls of my room at the shrine.


    The third though seemed to be showing a view from inside my shrine¡¯s Honden, the currently open door in it¡¯s center. Just inside the door stood Komaki, holding a fox mask out towards the image, while behind him I could see Yukiko kneeling on a fine carpet, wearing a Kimono nearly identical to the one Mumei gave me in my dreams as she passed away. I tried to look at more of the contents of that image, but whenever I tried, I quickly found myself returning to admiring the finely crafted mask that was moving closer and closer.


    While observing the perfectly shaped facsimile of fox ears sitting atop the oval mask, I became aware of three threads not dissimilar to how I find where to go when delivering things.


    One lead back to what was probably the ceiling eyes were seeing at the moment.


    The second lead to the base of the Honden scene.


    While the last one drew me straight to the white mask, with ebony inlays forming the slanted eyes, smirking mouth and two sets of whisker-like markings on the cheeks. As I looked over the just barely not perfect application of red paint to highlight the ears of the mask, I felt myself start to drift towards it. I could not tell if I was approaching it at the speed of light, or at the pace of a glacier, but I was definitely closing in on it.


    In the blink of an eye, which might have taken as long as a tree''s entire life, my perception of the world changed once more.


    I now could tell the distances to whatever was tied to myself in the Honden, and what was presumably my body. Though now that I existed in the clearing before the shrine, instead of seeing images from various points of view, I now perceived my surroundings in what seemed like extremely unfocused greyscale. Before me was an extremely bright figure, with a similar one standing inside me. Behind me were a dozen more figures, appearing not as bright as the first two, but somehow polished up to shine more.


    Although I suspected I was in front of the Honden, seeing as I was closer to that connection than the body still in my room, everything else was a grey blur, and became even more unfocused as I was moved.


    Although, the dark patch of ground flanked by outright black probably meant we were now crossing the bridge. The moment I was carried off of it, I became aware of an outright horde of presences. But none of these were as bright as the ones surrounding me. They felt somehow dirtier, as if they had worked in the fields for a day and had yet to take their evening bath.


    Of course this was not wholly uniform, as I quickly realized while being carried above them. Some were nearly as bright as the 12 around and slightly below me, and many of these seemed to be closing in around them. Two were stained nearly black, but those were standing rather far away.


    As we presumably left the shrine grounds, I noticed the smell of tuna to my left. As I tried to focus on this smell, I saw a splash of red in the same direction. Trying to reach for it, I saw a blindingly white arm reach for it. It took me quite a bit to realise that this was probably my limb, but once the connection was made, I grabbed some of the red. When I pulled the handful of fish away, the color in that spot seemed to dull, though it was still visible, a stark contrast to the grey all around me.


    Progress in maneuvering the hand towards whatever passed for my mouth was somewhat slow. Not only was the limb alien to me, I wasn¡¯t sure where my mouth even was. But when I finally managed, the fish tasted outright divine. The fat running through it was just the right amount to reinforce the raw tuna''s taste instead of diluting it.


    Before the sizable piece of fish to my side was finished, I had gotten the hang of eating in this state. Which was just in time, as next to the fish a sack of surprisingly crunchy, surprisingly flavorful rice appeared. When a barrel of sake was placed to my right, I stretched, growing a right arm as well, and brought a handful to my mouth. As I drank, my vision finally started to clear up. Instead of being surrounded by formless blobs, I could make out the blurry shapes of buildings, streets and people around me. After finishing the rice, I could already clearly make out the palanquin I was on top of, as well as the offered food around me.


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    This went on until I could make out the sun slowly nearing the top of the buildings all around us, and the whole procession around me returned to the shrine grounds. Once there, Yukiko, with me still stuck to her face¡¯s movements, stepped down and with small, graceful steps, made her way to an elaborate seat. As she set down, I had a clear view of both the Sumo ring and archery range, both of which were illuminated with what looked like old fashioned torches.


    The physical remains of the food I consumed earlier were placed next to Yukiko and me on a table. Once he finished directing their placement, Komaki brought out an old clay made sake cup. As he dipped it into the barrel of Sake, Toya, in his usual Miko disguise, stepped next to him, holding an old fashioned scroll.


    But before I could observe it more closely, the old Kodama stepped before me and fed the cup of sake to me. While it¡¯s taste was by now non existent, I still noticed it dripping down my face into a bowl Komaki was holding in his other hand.


    When the dripping stopped, he began to talk as he exchanged cup and bowl for the scroll. Though the only reason I noticed that was his mouth moving, hearing had yet to return to me.


    He closed his mouth as he carefully observed my mouth and chin, before consulting the scroll. This repeated a couple of times until he handed the scroll to Yukiko and removed my face from hers, dragging the rest of me along. Holding me out towards the people gathered around, he slowly turned me towards each section of the crowd in turn, presumably giving some form of speech.


    After he turned me to face the ground, presumably bowing himself at that moment, he carried me back across the bridge. With each of the two Torii we passed through, I felt my perception of what lay outside them slip away, leaving me to observe only the bamboo surrounding the Honden and Komaki. Then he stuck a slip of paper to the front of my face.


    The next thing Eva noticed was a sudden feeling of vertigo as she suddenly regained a physical manifestation. While her form was slightly translucent it was now influenced by the physical all around her, and needed to interact with it in turn.


    Just as she was about to fall down, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back onto her feet.


    ¡°I did warn you that you¡¯d need to stand on your feet again didn¡¯t I?¡± Komaki said, allowing himself a slight chuckle as Eva turned around to look at him.


    ¡°Maybe, though I did not hear a thing this entire time.¡± Eva replied, realizing her face was still a carved mask when she could not raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh, I did not expect that.¡± He confessed, bowing down slightly towards the Kitsune. ¡°Then again, Muemi had been doing this for a decade before I came to live here. Assuming you are capable of everything she was would be a mistake.¡±


    ¡°So what was all this?¡± Eva asked, turning to look him straight in the eyes. ¡°What just happened to me?¡±


    ¡°Well just now I used an Ofuda[1] to force you to manifest a physical presence so we could talk here.¡±


    ¡°And before that? When I was ripped from my body by drums?¡±


    ¡°You were drawn into a new vessel. When Mumei bequeathed you here position as this Shrine¡¯s Kami, it formed a connection between you and the mirror, the Goshintai[2], kept in the Honden allowing your spirit to inhabit it if you so wish.¡± He began to explain. Noticing she was about to interject, he raised a hand and continued. ¡°During today¡¯s ritual, a part of you was imbued into the mask you are now wearing, before we guided you into it to hold watch over the afternoon¡¯s festivities.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean a part of me? Did you rip a piece of my soul off?¡±


    ¡°No, no. It is not like tearing a piece from a sheet of paper. More like spreading a bonfire by lighting a candle with it.¡± Komaki tried to calm her. ¡°You are not diminished, and until a large group of people start worshiping this little flame of your¡¯s to turn it into its own bonfire, it will still be connected to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and that means what for me exactly?¡± Eva inquired, still failing to raise her currently wooden eyebrow.


    ¡°Well for now, it only means you will know where it is at any given moment. But if you practice enough, say a decade or two, you should be able to manifest like you are forced to right now near any sliver of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Eva said with a nod. Keeping her remaining, less urgent questions for later, she continued. ¡°So what did you want to talk about here? After all, we could have had that explanation later, or better yet, you could have told me sometime this week. Ideally when you told me to stay in my room today.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. I was curious to hear who you think should receive this year''s mask.¡± Komaki explained sheepishly. ¡°Seeing as they will be owning a piece of you it is only fair you get the final decision.¡±


    ¡°Well then how about Mr. Mori. He was kind enough to invite me to go out with the rest of the volunteers after all.¡± Eva said, remembering how he pleaded with her and Karasuza while drunk. ¡®After all ¡®In vino veritas¡¯¡¯.[3]


    ¡°That sounds like a good choice, Yujiro has been helping us with the festival for years by now and it would be the first time he receives this honor.¡± Komaki said with a nod as he stretched a hand out to reach for the paper stuck to the mask. ¡°Now, just focus on where your body is, and you¡¯ll be back in it in a moment.¡± With that he pulled the Ofuda off.


    I found myself in this weird limbo once more, but this time, two more windows were present, showing barely different views of Komaki, meaning these were the eyes of the mask. But as he suggested instead I focused on my connection to my physical body. Once again, I drifted towards it at an indescribable speed.


    Moments later, Eva shuddered and coughed, her eyes burning in pain and her throat parched. Blinking rapidly in the hopes it would help, she turned into a human, though that did little to help her throat and eyes. Thus she stumbled her way towards the bathroom to gulp down some water and wash out her eyes. ¡®¡®In aqua sanitas¡¯[4] isn¡¯t it?¡¯ She thought to herself as the water slowly eased her pain.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 8

    Like most of the past few years, Toya was standing in one of the Sumo rings. In his usual Shrine Maiden disguise he performed a short and simple purification for the visitors that wanted to attend the procession starting any moment. In between visitors, he glanced back to their home, where Eva was basically grounded until the evening, while Yukiko was getting dressed with the help of two older ladies.


    Looking across the grounds, there were a few familiar faces in the crowd already gathered. On the far end of the area was the young couple Mr. Mori employed as Assistants in his shop. They had had to make up for their boss¡¯s absence this week, seeing as he had been told to not handle things like dead fish, but still seemed rather enthusiastic as they prepared the small cooking area. They didn¡¯t have much to do yet, as everything that would be cooked for the people that helped them out over the week was to be collected as the procession passed by local businesses.


    In the midst of the crowds, Karasuza was doing her best to direct all the people to where they should be. The young Tanuki had hoped she¡¯d be able to assist him blessing and cleansing people wishing for it. But sadly she¡¯d shown little aptitude at quickly memorizing the relevant rituals. ¡®If only Eva could have helped out.¡¯ Toya thought to himself as he took care of the next visitor. ¡®If her being a foreigner is such an issue, I am sure she could have transformed into a more local looking person.¡¯ His thoughts continued mulling over this annoyance, unclear on why the old Treespirit had confined the young Kitsune to her room until further notice. But that all came to a halt when Yukiko stepped outside, looking absolutely stunning in Mumei¡¯s ceremonial Kimono. As she made her way to the bridge, taking slow measured steps, the crowd slowly parted around the half dozen volunteers escorting her.


    Soon after she and her entourage had reached the other side of the stream cutting through the grounds, the sound of drums reverberated through the air. Toya didn¡¯t much care for the ritual, not nearly as much as those in the crowd listening intently to the rhythm of the drums. After all, the shrine¡¯s Kami was in her room, probably angry at being grounded. The whole bit where Komaki waves around a mask and chants a prayer was just for keeping up appearances after all. He doubted that, even if she had the power to bring fire and misfortune upon them, Eva would figure out how to use them for such purpose on her own, let alone care about the silly human rituals.


    Shortly after the drums fell silent, Everyone involved in the ritual at the Honden returned, with Yukiko now wearing a finely crafted fox mask. Once she¡¯d sat down, dozens of people worked together to lift up the palanquin she now occupied. Watching them fitting the whole construct, and everyone carrying it, through the Torii was always interesting to watch. While Karasuza fell in line behind Komaki as the procession moved into the streets, Toya decided to stay behind and prepare the Sumo rings. He had seen the procession often enough, and people struggling to place trays full of food, sake and other offerings onto a palanquin carried and surrounded by a noticeable crowd lost its charm after a couple of times.


    Instead Toya directed the few helpers that stayed back with him into preparing stuff for when the procession returned in the afternoon. The small wooden bucket with the salt for the sumo fights was brought out. A pair of tables were set up flanking the ornate chair Yukiko would spend most of the evening in. After they had time for a short break, the students that were selected to participate in the Kyudo and Sumo showcases arrived and needed some directions towards the rooms set aside for them to change in.


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    By the time the procession returned, the six Kyudoka had taken positions alongside the path Yukiko would take to reach her seat. Once she had passed between them, they bowed and began their showcase, the twing of their bowstrings filled the air for the next few minutes as people watched them fill the targets with arrows. Once they had finished, peoples'' attention was directed towards the Sumo showcase, which was over surprisingly quickly, considering these two were presumably the best, at least in their school.


    Next, while the final rays of sun were still illuminating the scene, Toya moved to assist Komaki with the divination ritual that would mark the end of the day¡¯s official rites. When Komaki carried the mask back to the Honden to ¡®consult with the Kami¡¯, who was probably still grumbling in her room as far as Toya knew, he checked in with the teachers and students that now oversaw the people trying their hands at Kyudo and Sumo.


    A few minutes later Eva stumbled across the shrine grounds to join in the evening¡¯s celebrations. Her eyes were a bit reddened, as if she¡¯d spent some time actually crying over not being included. Instead of the usual Miko outfit she wore while working, the young Kitsune was wrapped in a simple, dark green Kimono, printed with stylized maple leaves. Toya stifled a giggle when he recalled how Yukiko had insisted on teaching Eva what a young lady should wear to a festival, and how to put on a Kimono. At least good enough that it¡¯d be fine for less formal occasions.


    As Toya looked around, he noticed Komaki returning across the bridge and began to move closer. The older spirit would be handing over the Foxmask to this year¡¯s lucky volunteer. And those reactions were always interesting to observe.


    It quickly became clear they were headed for Mr. Mori and Ms. Unagi. The two regular visitors were currently standing a bit off from the bigger crowds, enjoying some of the Sake handed out to the volunteering firefighters. While he couldn¡¯t move close enough to listen in, Toya still managed to get a clear view of Komaki handing the mask over to Mr. Mori. Which brought a wide grin to the man¡¯s face as he took the wooden piece of art from the priest.


    What he did next though, came as quite a surprise to everyone, most of all his female companion. Falling to one knee, he held the mask out towards the office woman, something metal glinting inside it now. As the shop owner began to talk, Ms. Unagi¡¯s face went through a surprising series of expressions. Starting from startled surprise, her lips slowly drew up into a broad smile, while her eyes began to gleam. She immediately brought her hands up, one to wipe what threatened to become tears from her eyes. The other to shily hide her stupidly wide grin. With a quick nod, she brought the hand from her eyes down before Mr. Mori¡¯s hands. The moment the ring had been slipped onto her finger, she seemed to fall into a hug with her now fianc¨¦. He meanwhile did his best to keep his grip on the wooden mask, and tied it to the side of her head before quickly returning the hug.


    Ignoring the grumpy mumbling from an older lady nearby, Toya decided to walk up to the couple to congratulate them.

 The 2nd Delivery: Chapter 9

    When Sunday morning rolled around, with the merciless rays of the sun soon finding Eva¡¯s face, the more unpleasant aftereffects had faded fully. Giving up the struggle to stay asleep moments later, Eva got up. Letting out a long yawn, the Kitsune stretched her forelegs, tails hanging lazily behind her.


    Leaving her room she didn¡¯t bother to change into a human shape just yet,and instead used one of her tails to slide the door open. Downstairs in the kitchen, Toya was already working on breakfast.


    ¡°Morning.¡± She greeted the Tanuki, before another yawn sneaked out of her muzzle.


    Looking down at the white fox that was squeezing in, Toya smiled down. ¡°Morning Eva, hope you slept well.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Came the reply as Eva transformed so she could see what breakfast would be. Which turned out to be miso soup with the leftovers from the evening before.


    ¡°So what did you do most of yesterday stuck inside?¡±


    ¡°Well mostly I was stuck watching Yukiko be paraded around.¡± Eva said before she started lending a hand with breakfast while going into a few more details about her surreal experience the day before. At least feeling ¡®herself¡¯ resting in the shrine and what was probably Ms. Unagi¡¯s home gave her reassurance that it had actually occurred.


    Of course when everyone had arrived for breakfast, both Karasuza and the resident Yuki-Onna were curious about Eva¡¯s activities the day before. Which meant she had to repeat her explanation. Yukiko seemed somewhat concerned as she heard that Eva had more or less been stuck to her face for most of the ceremony without her noticing. After the Kitsune had reassured her multiple times that she had neither possessed the younger youkai, nor tried to read her mind or anything of a similar nature, the Yuki-Onna seemed to relax again. Karasuza meanwhile seemed to be so in awe at the Kami sitting before her having a casual conversation, she dropped her chopsticks twice, apologizing profoundly each time. Komaki meanwhile had been silently enjoying his breakfast watching the youngsters, only speaking up once to repeat what he had told Eva the evening before when asked.


    ¡°Well I hope that answers most of your questions.¡± Eva said as she got up after finishing her meal. ¡°But I promised Kurt we¡¯d check out the festival today.¡±


    With that she changed her more casual clothes into a facsimile of the kimono Yukiko had put her in earlier that week when teaching her how to actually put on such garments.


    Which immediately prompted Yukiko to get up and place a hand on Eva¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t we spend a few hours this week teaching you how to put on the real thing?¡±


    While she let herself be guided around the table, Eva complained. ¡°But no one would be able to tell the difference anyways.¡±


    ¡°Except for the fact the leaves on this fake are too perfect, and from a simple touch one can tell it¡¯s made from simple cotton like a cheap T-shirt.¡±


    ¡°Okay no normal human would notice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the thing. Besides I gave you all that with the expectation you would actually wear it.¡±


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    ¡°But Kurt¡¯s going to be here any moment, I don¡¯t want to make him wait until I am done putting all of that on.¡± Eva said with a small pout as they arrived at the door to her room.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s easily solved.¡± Yukiko said as she pulled her phone out of the sleeve of her yukata and began typing out a message.


    A bit under half an hour later, thankfully Yukiko accepted Eva doing her hair and makeup the quick way, Eva was standing near the shrine¡¯s outermost torii, waiting for Kurt to show up. While they had agreed to meet here about 20 minutes ago, she had no idea what message she had sent Kurt. When he finally came into sight, Eva carefully waved to him, which caused the long deep green sleeve of her kimono to flap around. This meant the leaves printed on the silk resembled those fluttering in the wind nearby even more closely as Kurt noticed her.


    Kurt for his part was dressed up in a similar fashion to Eva, wearing a red-brown kimono held closed by a light green Obi. The Werewolf¡¯s outfit was not adorned with large images like the maple leaves on the Kitsune¡¯s. Instead it featured a pattern of tiny brown hexagons all over.


    ¡°Hey, sorry I am a tad late.¡± Kurt greeted her as he finally arrived next to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Eva said with a wave of her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you own an outfit like this.¡±


    ¡°Well I actually don¡¯t. But thankfully Yukiko managed to point me towards a nice kimono rental place nearby. Which is why I am a bit later than expected, convincing the nice lady that runs it to let me keep my beard in a braid took forever.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine.¡± Eva said with a light chuckle.


    ¡°Now how about we explore the festival held in your honor?¡± Kurt inquired as he offered his arm to Eva, who took the invitation before the two of them began to wander past all the stalls.


    As they explored, they found that most stalls sold various festival foods. At most of these they selected two of the items offered more or less at random to try and eat as they walked on. While they were walking past a stall selling masks, the two bought each other one as a little joke. For the rest of the day, Eva had a wolf-like mask tied to the side of her head, whereas Kurt had a more fox-like one. After a while they decided to try some of the games. After surprising both herself and Kurt with a near perfect result at a shooting stand, Eva decided to not try her hand at the goldfish catching which Kurt seemed surprisingly excited to try.


    While he did end up catching one, when he was done the werewolf¡¯s sleeves were rather wet, so the two of them decided to enjoy some grilled meat standing close to the yakitori stall they bought it at so the heat of the grill would help dry Kurt¡¯s sleeves.


    Lastly they decided to try their hands at a ring tossing game. But after winning only some small keychains after spending a hundred yen each on trying, the two of them decided to leave the games be, and instead focused on finishing their attempt at trying all the food they could smell.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 1

    The next Friday morning saw Eva not in her classes, but waiting impatiently in front of the facade of Tokyo Station built rather beautifully from mostly red bricks. Slung over her bag was a rucksack packed with everything she¡¯d need for an extended Weekend in, and on the sea before, Osaka. If it had been up to her, the Kitsune would have simply travelled to Osaka by Torii on Saturday morning before the ship she was invited to celebrate on, would leave.


    But then Kurt convinced her to skip classes today so the two of them could spend most of the day exploring Osaka. While Eva was against the idea to skip classes, as it might leave a bad impression at her exchange University, the offer of Kurt paying all food bills today was just enough to bring her around to visit ¡®the kitchen of Japan¡¯ instead of the same old lecture halls.


    Which is why she was now waiting for the Werewolf. Not that he was actually late yet, but with just a handful of minutes to go until he would be, Eva was getting a bit impatient. Moments later, her nose picked up on Kurt¡¯s characteristic canine smell, even though she could not make him out in the crowd of commuters making their way to the station. Of course it didn¡¯t take him long to reach where the Kitsune stood, a few meters from the main pathway to the station¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Morning Fuchs.¡± He greeted her with a cheerful wave. But what drew Eva¡¯s gaze were a few crumbs of bread stuck in his beard.


    ¡°You got a little something there.¡± She responded with a smirk, miming brushing something out of a non-existent beard.


    ¡°Ah sorry.¡± Kurt quickly brushed his beard clean as he continued. ¡°Slept in so I had to eat breakfast on the run.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, why did you insist on meeting here?¡±


    ¡°Well seeing as I won these in a raffle this week.¡± Kurt said as he pulled out two train tickets from his own backpack. ¡°I thought we could go a bit slower than you usually do, but in exchange enjoy the luxury of riding a Shinkansen.¡±


    ¡°And how long is this ride to Osaka going to be?¡± She inquired as the two made their way into Tokyo Station.


    ¡°About three hours. But we¡¯ll also get to see the countryside rush past us.¡± Kurt said as he began to scan the area around them for signs showing the way to the correct plattform.


    ¡°As long as you pay for it.¡± The Kitsune replied with a shrug as she did her best to stick close to her fellow German. Even with both of them being at least slightly taller than most people in the crowd around them, the sheer amount of people made getting through the station a challenge. While Eva did try to use her supernatural sense of twice direction it guided the two Germans straight across subway tracks and towards a locked door labeled ¡®staff only¡¯. Which prompted the realization that just because a route might be the shortest to your goal doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s safe or you are allowed to use it.


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    In the end though they reached the platform where the shinkansen to Kyoto and Osaka was already waiting with a handful of minutes to spare. The tickets Kurt had won were for first class seats, which turned out to be extremely comfortable.


    ¡°So any plans for what to do once we are in Osaka?¡± Eva asked as they had settled into their seats.


    ¡°Nothing more concrete than visiting the castle and enjoying some local food all throughout the day.¡± Kurt replied while taking off his scarf and draping it over the armrest.


    Taking a cue from that, Eva took off her jacket as the inside of the train was quite a bit warmer than the air in mid October Tokyo.


    ¡°I see.¡± She mumbled as she leaned back into her chair. ¡°Have you at least planned some place for us to spend the night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it was quite cheap all said.¡± Kurt replied with a proud smile as he pulled out his phone and began to browse for the accommodations he had booked. ¡±Here take a look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of these capsule hotels isn¡¯t it?¡± Eva inquired as she looked over the website he was showing her. ¡°Aren¡¯t they rather cramped?¡±


    ¡°Is that really going to be an issue for you Fuchs?¡± He retorted with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Well this one doesn¡¯t allow any animals. And I doubt it¡¯ll be private enough that there¡¯s a fox in one of the beds, not a woman.¡± The young woman elaborated as she read the information on the phone¡¯s screen. ¡°So yes, going to be a tad cramped for both of us.¡±


    As their conversation hit a lul, the train finally started to leave the station. Though even then, for the next while the only bit of nature they could see was Mt. Fuji through the window next to Eva. When they finally could see something besides city in the landscape the Shinkansen carried them through, they started a conversation backup about the things they thought they could see for mere moments before they slipped out of view.


    ¡°Hello, may I talk with both you a bit?¡± A middle aged woman asked in mildly broken German after approaching the two exchange students about an hour after the train ride had started.


    ¡°Yes of course.¡± Kurt replied as he turned towards her, careful to speak clearly.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Eva greeted the woman with a friendly smile on her lips.


    ¡°Why couple like you visit Japan?¡± The woman continued with her clearly unpracticed German.


    ¡°We¡¯re not a couple.¡± Kurt quickly clarified. ¡°We only met on the plane to Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°Though as for your question.¡± The Kitsune replied, leaning forward to look past the other student. ¡°We¡¯re both exchange students from Germany studying in Tokyo for a year.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why you decide study in Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°For me it is mostly as I wanted to learn more about Sake, especially how it¡¯s traditionally made.¡±


    ¡°I on the other hand,¡± Kurt began, stroking his beard in a mildly failed attempt to look more impressive, ¡°am actually studying japanese culture and history, so spending a year in Japan allows me to really immerse myself in this culture that is so different from my own.¡±


    After this, mostly due to the ladies proficiency level in German and insistence on practicing the, to her, foreign language, the conversation quickly turned into simple small talk.


    Though even with the topics kept somewhat simple, and thus generic, before they knew it they had to cut the conversation short as the train neared Osaka. Before they left, the three exchanged numbers as the woman wanted to thank them for this experience properly the next time she had enough time and was in Tokyo.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 2

    Finding their way out of the Station in Osaka proved a lot easier than navigating Tokyo Station. Of course this might have something to do with the fact it was now well past rush hour. Thus they could take it a bit more slowly and comfortably use their phones to look up Kanji they didn¡¯t recognize.


    Once they reached the outside, their superhuman noses were immediately filled with the faint smell of fried meats, fish and, most noticeably, octopus. Without words, and only a quick glance at each other, the two agreed to follow their noses to the closest Takoyaki stall.


    Which was only a block away, although quite busy already despite the fact it was only a bit after twelve. The wait in line was akin to torture for the two as their noses duitfully informed them of the progress of each batch of octopus filled balls of dough. A few minutes later, they could also see how the takoyaki were flipped around in the indentations on the grill.


    But when they had finally received their own portion, it turned out that all the waiting had been worth it. In fact Eva quickly realized waiting some longer might have been prudent as the boiling hot juices trapped inside the first ball she plopped into her mouth gushed out, leaving behind mild burns on her tongue. After a few moments to finish it, and drinking some cold water, Eva watched as Kurt ran afoul of basically the same experience as she poked a hole into her next one to let the insides cool a bit before bringing it into her mouth.


    The two of them continued to eat takoyaki as they began to wander around through back alleys that could be straight out of a cyberpunk movie. The bigger streets look not too dissimilar than those they¡¯d seen in Tokyo. But once they reached the park surrounding Osaka Castle, the difference in the people they¡¯d heard a lot about began to become noticeable. Whereas in Tokyo strangers would rarely strike up conversations, much less with foreigners like the two of them, here in Osaka it seemed people were more curious and willing to act on it. The questions they were asked in these quick conversations often repeated, which caused a bit of annoyance with the Germans when they¡¯d explained why they were in Osaka for the dozenth time.


    That is until they met Ningyou, a woman that seemed to be about their age wearing an old fashioned Kimono, not that the Germans had actually noticed that until she pointed it out. As their conversation went on, Ningyou¡¯s skin seemed unnaturally smooth with how the light breaching through the remaining leaves reflected off her cheeks.


    ¡°This might be a tad personal,¡± Eva began to inquire once she noticed that. ¡°But how did you get your skin so smooth. If I couldn¡¯t see it move when you talk I¡¯d assume it was made from porcelain.¡±


    Instead of answering though the local deflected with a nervous giggle before changing the topic. ¡°Would you like me to show you around Osaka Castle? I¡¯ve been there many times over the years.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be great.¡± Kurt replied immediately.


    As they stepped out of what little shade the tree¡¯s still offered this time of the year, Eva noticed the other woman¡¯s hair looked slightly off, though she could not put it into words what gave that impression.


    Once they were inside the ancient castle, Ningyou kept true to her word and guided them around the castle. Most of what she told the two revolved around the history of the castle, as well as its predecessor that stood here until it had been burned down by Tokugawa Ieyasu¡¯s forces during a siege. She also talked about all the times the castle had been destroyed after that both by nature and man.


    As they stood on the top floor looking out at the area around them she did her best to explain to them how vast the destruction had been in WWII, where the castle had served as a munitions factory and storage facility until american bombers managed to destroy it.


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    ¡°You really know an impressive amount of history.¡± Eva said as they began to descend back down towards the ground floor. ¡°Are you studying history at University?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Was the local¡¯s vague response as they stepped into the park again. Which looked surprisingly different as the only change to earlier was that it was now illuminated by the late afternoon sun.


    ¡°So what else are you two planning for today?¡±


    ¡°Well I was hoping we¡¯d find a good Okonomiyaki restaurant.¡± Kurt said, his words underscored by a quiet grumbling from his stomach. ¡°I haven¡¯t had it before, but I¡¯ve heard good things about Osaka Style Okonomiyaki.¡±


    ¡°Hm, then I think we¡¯ll part ways here. I am not one for eating.¡± Ningyou said with a short bow. She then turned to leave before looking back at them one last time. ¡°I do hope to see both of you again someday though.¡±


    As they tried to ask her to wait and exchange numbers, her small but rapid steps took her away quickly.


    Once they gave up on catching up to the surprisingly fast woman, they managed to quickly find an Okonomiyaki restaurant online with great reviews. While it was a bit away from the park they had been at when they looked it up, they still managed to reach it by early evening. Waiting to be seated with no reservation took another tortuous 15 minutes, but then they finally sat before the metal grill that would soon be used to prepare their dinner.


    After looking over the menu all Okonomiyaki came with cabbage, Eva decided to try one that also had Aburaage, thin slices of fried Tofu. Kurt instead decided to go for one with pork and beef.


    ¡°So there is some truth to the fox loving Aburage I see.¡± Kurt joked, following up with a chuckle as he saw Eva¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°No.¡± She said just a hint too quickly. ¡°I just wanted to not abuse your generosity and it was the cheapest option with something besides cabbage.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Kurt replied as the cook on the other side of the counter poured the batter onto the hot metal. Their conversation died immediately as their attention was captured by the sizzling pancake like food that was being prepared for them. Their nostrils were filled with the aroma of the meat, the fried tofu and the vegetables hidden inside the batter being grilled before them.


    When they were finally served, topped with a brown sauce, mayonnaise and bonito fish flakes, neither of the two waited to dig in. As they both picked up a piece, the bonito flakes on the rest of their dishes seemed to dance from the heat beneath them. The taste was great, the tofu and meat respectively added just enough difference in texture to add some variance to the batter and Cabbage around them. While Eva had expected a taste somewhat similar to other savoury pancakes she had before in Europe, there was an unexpected, although not unwelcome, fishy note to it beyond what the bonito added to it. The hint of sugary sweetness in the brown sauce covering the whole thing managed to not clash with the savory taste of the rest, and instead even enhanced it.


    While they had both only eaten a handful of takoyaki since they left Tokyo, by the time they were done with the Okonomiyaki they were absolutely stuffed. As they strolled through the Osaka streets at night, they saw lots of different people all around them on their way to enjoy the famous Osaka nightlife.


    As they passed a group of College aged locals, they were quickly involved in a conversation in English of various levels of proficiency, from barely understandable to near fluent. They were quickly peer pressured into joining the students for Karaoke. Which was a lot of fun, though as they made more and more use of the all you can drink that came with the room they rented, it became increasingly clear that the parts of the group less proficient in English were uncomfortable with the two foreigners'' presence in their midst.


    Thus they left the group sooner rather than later and began to make their way to their capsule hotel. After checking in and storing their bags in some lockers, they said their goodnights as Eva headed for the lady¡¯s section of the hotel, looked for her capsule and crawled into it. Once she¡¯d found a somewhat comfortable position inside the small space the Kitsune slowly drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts wondering what was expecting her the next few days.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 3

    Eva¡¯s phone ripped her out of sleep early the next day. It took her a moment to remember why she set such an early alarm on a saturday. A few seconds later, once she had fully woken up, she quickly vacated her capsule and headed for the showers.


    Once her, mildly abridged, morning routine had been completed, she packed her things and checked out of the hotel. Pulling her invitation to the weekend of celebration out of her bag, she focused on where the ship was supposed to be waiting. Immediately a path appeared to her mind''s eye, which she promptly started to follow.


    Of course, as she was unfamiliar with Osaka and her powers showed her the shortest route, the Kitsune soon had to take some detours. First to a nearby bridge instead of going straight across a river, after which she decided to use a pedestrian bridge instead of running through traffic. Luckily after that she arrived at a tiny shrine, with an equally tiny Torii before it.


    Despite the early saturday morning, when she looked around Eva saw a handful of people around who would notice her turning into a fox. As most of them didn¡¯t seem drunk enough to not remember, she headed for a nearby alley before turning into a fox. With her now smaller size it was quite easy to squeeze through the Torii and onto the foxroad, where she quickly returned to her human form.


    The Torii she stepped out of was set up on the pier noted on the tickets, with her mental thread to her destination pointing straight at the ship before her. The exchange student wasn¡¯t sure what she had expected, but it was definitely not what she saw. Sitting in the water before her was a massive cruise ship. With how many balconies she could make out on just this side it must have been built to house thousands of passengers.


    On the upper decks she could make out a handful of figures. Though from down below she couldn¡¯t make out many details of what they were doing. And as she walked up the gangway she quickly lost sight of them. Reaching the end of it, she stepped inside the ship and as she brought her attention back to her more immediate surroundings found herself before a pair of what seemed to be siblings.


    They both had white hair that curled just a bit at the ends, which contrasted sharply with the black suits the two were wearing. Their faces looked near identical, same as the pair of fuzzy white, somewhat cat like ears poking out of both of their hairs. If not for the fact that only one of them was female they could have easily passed as identical twins.


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    ¡°Good morning.¡± The female Security guard greeted her as she stepped closer to the Kitsune. ¡°Mind showing us your invitation and ticket?¡±


    ¡°One second.¡± Eva replied as she began to look for them in her bag. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Ah there seems to be a bit of a mistake here.¡± The white haired woman said as she looked over the paper she had been given.


    ¡°What mistake?¡± Eva wondered, wondering if there was anything written in it she had missed or forgotten about.


    ¡°This invitation is for a Kami, not some Gaijin[1] messenger.¡± came the growled response.


    ¡°Well it is the invitation that was delivered to me personally at my shrine.¡± Eva retorted as her ears and tails popped into existence, the latter stiffly raised up.


    ¡°Or you¡¯re just some wannabe that didn¡¯t actually deliver this and took it for herself.¡± The other woman snarled as her left forearm turned into an oversized, white furred paw, poised ready to swipe at the Kitsune. Her brother began to nervously shuffle towards the two women, though it was hard to tell if he wanted to help his sister or try to defuse the situation somehow.


    Luckily, before the Situation could escalate any further, a kind, old voice came from behind Eva. ¡°What has you young ones so riled up?¡±


    Turning around, Eva saw the oldest looking man she had ever seen step into the ship behind her. His back was so crooked he needed to to bend his neck all the way back just so his greying eyes could look forward. On it rested what looked like a heavy burlap sack bigger than he was himself. He was wearing old farmers clothing that belonged in a museum about ancient paddy farming, though instead of a straw hat, his bald head was covered by a dozing, white furred fox pup.


    ¡°Greetings Inari-sama.[2]¡± The two Security guards shouted with a bow, the female hiding her paw like arm behind her back. ¡°It is nothing to concern you with.¡± she continued as her brother took the man¡¯s invitation and tickets. ¡°Just dealing with a fraud.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say this lovely vixen is a fraud?¡± The Inari inquired as his gaze narrowed.


    ¡°She claims to be the Kami of the Mumeikitsune shrine.¡± She replied showing the invitation Eva had given her as proof. ¡°But she clearly is just some uppity foreigner, not Mumei.¡±


    ¡°So instead of trusting that young Mumei would have contacted ¨­-miya-hime if there was anything amiss you jumped to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°No - I mean - ah-¡± She began to mumble as the elderly man waved for Eva to follow him into the ship.


    ¡°Come. Please don¡¯t hold it against them, the two of them are only a couple of decades old and still rather inexperienced.¡± He tried to placate the Kitsune with a smile as they stepped into a breathtakingly stunning atrium topped by a skylight many decks above them. The walls were filled with immaculate mosaics of nature scenes. Mountains, rice fields and rivers dominating the designs. As she followed him to one of the glass elevators off to one side of it, his smile turned just a bit more forced when he inquired. ¡°So how did you end up taking over young Mumei¡¯s duties?¡±

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 4

    <div>


    ¡°That is quite sad to hear.¡± The elderly man sitting before her commented. Eva had just finished retelling her first and last interaction with Mumei. ¡°Those are some big responsibilities you¡¯ll have to live up to now.¡± He continued, his brow wrinkled even more than before the young Kitsune began her story.


    ¡°I am quite aware.¡± She replied the right one of  her foxy ears flicking back and forth. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t help that I have no idea how to even be a normal Kitsune, let alone a Kami.¡± Slumping forward a bit she buried her face in her hands.


    ¡°Ah yes, you mentioned you were just an unaware mortal before that night.¡± The ancient Kami remarked as he leaned back. Well as much as his crooked spine allowed. ¡°Then this past month must have been quite a challenge for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, though it would be nice to know more about what it means to be a Kitsune than what people remember Mumei telling them.¡±


    ¡°Hm I might -¡± he began to reply, before getting interrupted as someone behind Eva tried to get his attention. ¡°Just one moment.¡± He shouted past the German before picking up the fox still sleeping on his head and putting it down on the floor. ¡°Well young Eva, my presence is needed elsewhere, but Gon here will surely be able to answer some of your questions.¡±


    He then poked the little fox with his feet. ¡°Gon time to get up.¡±


    ¡°Ugh already?¡± the young fox mumbled as he opened his eyes slowly.


    ¡°Yes, now you be a good boy and take care of Eva here.¡± He explained with a wave towards the young woman. ¡°She has some questions I hope you will be able to answer for her.¡±


    ¡°Of-of course.¡± Came the quick response. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help her.¡± The little fox finished before turning into a teenaged boy wearing similar old fashioned work clothes as the elderly Inari wore. His hair was the same white as his fur had been, and still was where it remained on his ears and singular tail.


    While the old man waved as he left, the boy gave a respectful bow towards Eva. ¡°I am at your service Lady Inari.¡±


    ¡°Ah no need to be so formal.¡± Eva said clearly embarrassed as her tails began to wave side to side. ¡°Just call me Eva.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The boy said, visibly slouching into what Eva presumed to be a more relaxed posture as he sat on the now empty seat. ¡°So how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Well I hoped to learn more about what it means to be a Kitsune, as this.¡± She flicks one of her tails towards her ears. ¡°Is a rather new development for me.¡±


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    ¡°Any more concrete questions you want to ask first?¡± Gon inquires, his eyes trailing the two tails flicking from side to side behind the female Kitsune.


    ¡°Well the most pressing is about keeping oaths and promises.¡± Eva said, wringing her hands. ¡°Is it true that we lose tails and powers when we break those?¡±


    Hearing those words, Gon¡¯s face twisted into a smirk as he looked around. When he confirmed that most around were probably in the know, he let a chuckle escape his lips before he responded. ¡°Oh no. Though you¡¯ll not let anyone know about it. After all the presumption that we¡¯ll be harmed as much by breaking a promise as we harm those that break them with us is half the reason we get away with that.¡± His smirk widened a bit more as he continued. ¡°Not to mention it¡¯s a prank started by the first of our kind, keeping it up is a great joke played on everyone else.¡±


    As she took in this response, Eva let out a deeply relieved sigh.


    ¡°You know, just about everyone that wasn¡¯t born a Kitsune let¡¯s out that same sigh once they learn about this.¡±


    ¡°Huh so how do people become Kitsune often enough that something like this becomes common?¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s the still quite common mortal fox ascending through various means.¡± Seeing the questioning look from Eva he elaborated a bit. ¡°Well besides the old fashioned living a century, the most common ones are strays or pets living at shrines and temples that end up living a pious enough life to ascend that little bit. Other than foxes, there are often humas with a very distant Kitsune ancestor. Most of them awaken their heritage through contact with the supernatural.¡± Taking a short break to let out a deep sigh, Gon looked around at the Kami around them. ¡°And then of course there are those that are granted their new nature as a boon by one of the many Inaris for one reason or another.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva said with a nod as Gon finished his explanation. ¡°So what can we Kitsune actually do?¡±


    ¡°Well it depends a lot on the individual and what kinds of magic they try to study and how many tails they have earned.¡± the younger Kitsune began. ¡°Though all of us can easily change shapes, and have some skills with illusions. And as divine Messengers most of us here have been granted abilities to assist with those duties.¡±


    ¡°Huh, so how would one go about making illusions?¡± Eva inquired.


    ¡°How about we go somewhere a bit more private so we don¡¯t disturb anyone and I show you the ropes?¡±


    Giving only a nod in response, Eva followed after Gon, who began to lead her down one of the small corridors branching off from where they had been sitting.


    ~~~


    Back in Osaka, Kurt was headed to get some more takoyaki and figuring out what to do this Saturday, as a familiar figure walked up to him.


    ¡°Hello, Kurt wasn¡¯t it?¡± Asked the young woman, who the Werewolf knew was some kind of supernatural being. Few humans lacked any scent. Fewer still didn¡¯t have a heartbeat he could hear after all.


    ¡°Yes, Ningyou right?¡± He replied with a smile.


    ¡°Where is your girlfriend?¡±


    That caught him off guard. ¡°Ev-Eva isn¡¯t my girlfriend, she¡¯s just a friend that''s also a girl. And she¡¯s busy the rest of the weekend why?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯d like to introduce you to some of my friends if that¡¯s alright."

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 5

    After a few minutes of traversing the labyrinthine hallways of the cruise ship, Eva and Gon finally reached an empty lounge area. They had wanted to take the Elevators at first, but as those were crowded by the hundreds of Inaris, and their retinues, currently arriving, they had to settle for trying to find the staircases.


    Now, as they settled into a pair of very soft chairs, their ears still filled with the faint noise of hundreds of people arriving, Gon spoke up first. ¡°So how much do you know about magic?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really.¡± Eva replied, her two tails wiggling excitedly in the limited space they have behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone living at the Shrine could even tell me much about it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± the male Kitsune replied before pushing one of his hands into his fluffy tail. ¡°I am no master of magic myself, but the basics I shave down well enough.¡± As he continued, he pulled an elaborate looking scroll out of his tail. ¡°And a lot beyond that you need to figure out yourself anyways.¡±


    Eva, her eyes still focused on the tail that seemed to double as storage, just nodded in response.


    Opening the scroll, Gon placed it on the small table between them and began his explanation, referencing his scroll from time to time. ¡°Magic is vast and potentially able to do anything. Which is why everyone, from the mightiest of kami to the lowliest of mortals need to seperate it in various ways. Mortal sorcerers of ages past usually did this by splitting it into how they wanted their magic to act. As wards protecting objects, as immediate displays of power or giving magical aspects to otherwise mundane objects.¡±


    Doing her best to read the, from her perspective upside down, scroll, Eva noticed that Gon had been reciting more or less exactly what was written there so far. Curious to see what he would say next, she leaned back again, careful not to squish her tails.


    ¡°But as most youkai have some instinctual, innate magic, we more commonly divide magic based on what we want it to affect. How one goes about this mental categorization is ultimately up to each individual mage, though most tend to adapt something similar to their instructors.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Taking a deep breath Eva elaborates, ¡°In fiction there is always a drawback to using Magic. It taking the same effort as doing it with your own hands, only so much magic to use in a day, or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well mortal mages performing magics often suffered headaches, or even death from exhaustion. But as a Kami you won¡¯t need to worry about that unless you attempt truly grand magics like causing an earthquake.¡± Gon said, waving a hand dismissively at her concerns.


    ¡°Of course doing so would have political implications much more important for you than a migraine. My master always grumbles about Amaterasu and Helios'' shouting matches when he hears about an eclipse for example.¡±


    Eva, shocked at the amount of power that she allegedly wielded, just nodded slowly.


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s move on to actually helping you figure out magic.¡± Gon said, more of his attention on the notes in his scroll then on Eva¡¯s reaction. After rummaging in his tail once more he handed Eva a small box.


    ¡°Now take this and focus on that feeling you get of how to deliver it back to me.¡±


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    With a short nod Eva took the box, closed her eyes and quickly focused on the mental tug leading her right across the table to Gon.


    ¡°Then follow the feeling not to where it leads to, but where it originates from within you.¡±


    As she did so, the female Kitsune soon reached a point where this tugging feeling split into many tiny threads. Focusing on the entirety of those, they seemed to resemble two sets of roots swishing softly from side to side.


    ¡°Now imagine the pull not as a mental connection, but as a red line coming out of your brow.¡±


    Eva quickly nodded as she pushed the new mental image onto herself. But when she opened her eyes there was no line to be seen.


    Gon, noticing her scowl when she did this, smirked as he finished his instructions. ¡°And finally, suck a bit on the place where the original pull connected to you.


    Eva nodded and focused back on the mental image of a pair of root systems. Gently tucking on the point they met, a weird tingly sensation started at the base of her tails. As she increased the mental strength she pulled with, a faint red line began to stretch out from her brow. When the line reached halfway to Gon, a painful pinching coming from her tails led Eva to slightly change her position on the chair as she continued to focus.


    Soon the illusionary thread had connected to the other Kitsune, who¡¯s smile mirrored the one that had slowly crept onto her lips.


    ¡°That was very good for your first attempt.¡± He told her, pulling her attention away from working her magic enough that she finally noticed a strange new sensation from her tails. Turning around to look at them, Eva was shocked at the sight of a third tail nestled between her first two. It was about half the size as the others but otherwise looked identical to them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Gon tried to placate her, ¡°Most Kitsune start growing a new tail as they begin to master magic. It¡¯ll grow as your control of your magic improves. It normally reaches full length once one of the categories you¡¯ll divide magic into comes as instinctual to you as breathing or changing your shape.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So how should I go about that?¡±


    ¡°Well I could describe to you what kinds of magic I separated out so far. But as we¡¯ll probably not meet again if you want to master them yourself, it would be better if you designated your own.¡± He explained before opening the box Eva was still holding and handing her the empty scroll inside. ¡°The way my teacher had me go about it was to write them down as I think of them so I would not shift the definitions unconsciously. He claimed that while this would impose sharper limits on what I would end up being able to do with each of them, having a clearer image would aid me in mastering them quicker.¡±


    ¡°Does it make a difference in how many schools or categories or whatever I think up?¡± Eva said as she began to consider what she¡¯d try and subsume the illusion she just did into.


    Before responding, Gon opened his own scroll further until he reached the section he had been looking for. After consulting his notes intensely he replied. ¡°Not much. I was told that in the end, those separating magic into broader concepts usually took longer to master any one of them, but would be able to do a lot of different things sooner. Those using narrower definitions grew more skilled in these quicker, but often needed to start over again when learning a new one.¡±


    Nodding to signify her understanding, Eva began to write down her first few ideas for categories down with a pen pulled from her bag.


    ¡°And in the end, most people end up with a mixture of them anyways. As often a seemingly narrow concept turns out to be broader than expected, or vice versa.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the lesson. I hope to-¡± Sadly, Eva expressing her hope to meet up again sometime was drowned out by an announcement coming from the speaker system.


    ¡°As most of our esteemed guests have arrived, we invite all of you to come mingle on the top deck, where drinks and snacks will be provided.¡±


    Putting away the now no longer empty scroll and pen into her bag sitting under the table, she picked it up and got out of her seat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find our way there quicker than we took getting here.¡± Gon said as he stuffed his things back into his tail.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 6

    They did indeed manage to find their way around more easily, as it took Eva and Gon only a handful of minutes to reach the upper decks. The people gathered there made for a very curious assortment. A slight majority were wearing normal everyday clothes, simple business suits, hoodies and jeans and so on. Nearly as many were wearing gorgeous traditional Kimono. The few that stood out were the old man Eva had talked to earlier, as he seemed to be one of the very few wearing old fashioned, simple clothes, and a group of three, two men and a woman, sitting on the back of horse sized foxes.


    As Eva took in all the people around her, as well as the various foxes playing at their heels, or draped over their shoulders, Gon had already started maneuvering them closer to his master.


    ¡°Ah young Eva, I hope your talk with Gon, short as it may have been so far, has proven to be enlightening.¡± The old Inari greeted them once he noticed their presence.


    ¡°Yes. But I still have some things I am curious about.¡± Eva replied, her head bowed respectfully towards the older Kami.


    Before he could reply though, a young woman stepped onto what was probably a stage on the far end of the crowd. Two locks of her black hair framed her statuesque face on either side, while the rest of it was tied back into a simple bun sitting just above the hem of her red Kimono. As she walked forward, the white Hakama she was wearing swayed a bit before shedstopped and brought a microphone up to address the gathered gods.


    ¡°Hello Everyone. I am glad to see so many of you managed to find the time to attend. I am ¨­-miya-hime, your hostess and organiser of this year¡¯s get together.¡±


    As she took a deep breath, her face took on a more sorrowful look. ¡°But before we start this year''s festivities, it is my sad honor to inform you of the passing of Mumei. While I doubt many of you knew her well, she was one of us, so I would like to ask for a minute of silence in her memory.¡±


    As she finished those words, it suddenly became apparent how much noise the crowd had been making, as there suddenly was utter silence. Only the sound of the waves far below reached Eva¡¯s ears as she too fell silent to honor the poor fox goddess she couldn¡¯t save.


    When ¨­-miya-hime looked up again, a smile slowly returned to her face. ¡°Now I do hope you welcome her chosen successor into the fold. I am not going to point the poor girl out just now, but I am sure I will be able to introduce herself to you all during dinner tonight.¡±


    When she looked over the crowd, her smile suddenly turned a bit more mischievous as she finished her little speech.


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    ¡°That said, I am sure you will welcome her warmly, after all we are all Inari.¡±


    ¡°Yes we are all Inari.¡± came the groaning echo of a crowd fed up with a joke repeated a dozen times too often.


    ¡°No I am not.¡± shouted one of the men riding a fox before chuckling to himself.[1]


    Turning to the old man next to her, Eva pinched her nose while inquiring. ¡°Why did she just rip off the Life of Brian?¡±


    ¡°You mean this little routine?¡± When the younger Kami nodded, he let out a deep sigh as he explained. ¡°Apparently one of her Priests was a big fan of the movie when it came out. When he passed away, she started doing this every year.¡±


    ¡°How close were they?¡± Eva asked, pondering why a goddess would pull such a, in her opinion at least, poor joke.


    ¡°Very much so. Some of their children are gathered here as well.¡± He began to explain while leading the small group towards some of the benches at the edge of the deck so he could sit down. ¡°Like many of us that wish to blend into mortal society, she has taken to pretending to be one of her shrine¡¯s servants. Apparently when they first met during their duties, they fell in love at first sight. And while they were very happy together, his time was limited. And with him refusing her pleas to at least try to prolong it even after she revealed her true nature to him, so was their time together.¡±


    Eva, trying not to cry, and even harder to not think about the implications of this, lower her head. A moment later a new question came to her, that would hopefully divert the topic. ¡°So why do all the supernatural beings hide their existence to such an extent? Some of those I met claim it¡¯s because humans would wipe them out, but that can¡¯t be all there is to it if even just a fraction of the myths about some of us are true.¡±


    ¡°Well the fear of the human¡¯s unknown reactions certainly is a part of it.¡± He said while taking a freshly prepared pipe from Gon. ¡°But for most of us Kami it also comes down to being fed up with the days of old. Back then once people found out where we lived, there were unending lines of petitioners seeking our aid in selfish matters they had deluded themselves to think were just and right.¡±


    ¡°But what about those that did have selfless requests?¡± Eva wonders aloud, as her hands brushed through ehr still unfamiliar, short third tail.


    ¡°I have yet to meet someone with truly selfless motivations plead for my aid over trying to do something themselves.¡± The elderly Kami replied after exhaling a puff of smoke. ¡°Finding and helping those does not need us being tangible presences in the world. But dealing with those thinking their request is selfless, like saving a loved one from illness, was especially tiresome after a few centuries. Not only did I start to realize their ultimately selfish motivations, not wanting to deal with having to raise children alone, needing the ill person to work to make profits and many more. They never seemed to realize the true root of their desire no matter how many generations went by.¡±


    Despite him taking a break to continue smoking from his pipe, the Kitsune before him found no words to reply with before he decided to continue.


    ¡°Now go, take Gon and mingle with someone closer to your age. I think one of the Daikinitens[2] brought some of their offspring this year.¡±

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 7

    While she walked through the crowd, Eva made polite small talk with the people around her, keeping an eye out for the ones her age the old inari had mentioned. After talking to one of the Kami garbed in a very elaborate Kimono painted with scenes of their shrine in the various seasons, the young Kitsune was pondering if she should use the what little magic came instinctively to her to change her rather mundane looking outfit to resemble the Kimono Yukiko had worn during the procession and the rest of the festival.


    Before she could reach a decision either way, a young, surprised sounding voice shouting ¡°Gaijin!¡± distracted her. Looking where the shout had come from, Eva noticed a young girl, maybe 6 or 7 years old, running towards her. The girl was wearing a frilly pink blouse and a knee length red red skirt. Some locks of her long black hair brushed against the tiny fox kit she was carrying in her arms. ¡°Ah, please forgive me, I was just surprised to see a foreigner here.¡± The girl apologized as she stopped before Eva. ¡°Dad said this would be a gathering of Japanese deities so I was not expecting someone like you here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± The German replied with a smile on her lips. ¡°I¡¯d be quite surprised as well I think.¡±


    ¡°So how did you come to be here?¡± Came the young girl¡¯s inquiry. ¡°No wait, let me guess. You got your own servant.¡± She waved at Gon standing behind and slightly to the side of Eva. ¡°So you¡¯re probably not a european fox that came here as a servant. I know, your parent had a shrine built by some expatriates then had you with a local and now you finally got them to let you come here to their home after a couple of centuries. Did I get it right? Did I?¡±


    With a short amused chuckle, Eva replied. ¡°Not really. For one I am still in my twenties. And neither of my parents were Kami.¡± Seeing the confused expression on the young girl¡¯s face, the kitsune continued,¡±Mumei decided I was worthy to take over her position after I helped her in her time of need.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, you¡¯re the one the lady on stage mentioned then? Come let me introduce you to my dad then.¡± The young girl declared, letting go of her little pet with one hand to grab onto the older woman¡¯s and dragged her through the crowd. Eva for her part let herself be dragged along, the girl¡¯s excitement slowly spread to her as she realized that the girl might just have been the one the old Kami had referred to. A decade or two younger than her was definitely closer to her age than everyone around her who seemed to be  at least a century older. Gon just silently followed the two females, a small smile spreading across his lips.


    A few moments later they approached an older man leaning against the flank of one of the giant foxes Eva noticed earlier. His business suit seemed well tailored as far as Eva could tell, and his black hair was trimmed short. When he noticed the young girl dragging a Kitsune behind her, a frown spread across his face.


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    ¡°Dad, Dad look who I m-¡±


    ¡°Hikari, what did I tell you to do if I let you come?¡± He cut his excited daughter off as he walked up to them, his voice sounding stern but not truly angry.


    While Eva couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face from where she stood, but seeing her look down made it seem like she felt quite chastised.


    ¡°Be polite and don¡¯t bother people.¡± She replied meekly.


    ¡°Well at least you remember now.¡± He said before stepping a bit to the side to approach Eva more directly. ¡°Please excuse Young Hikari¡¯s behaviour, she is still quite young and gets excited easily. My name is Yamanaka Jiro, I am one of the incarnations of Daikiniten in attendance today.¡±


    ¡°I am Eva Mayer, I recently inherited Mumei¡¯s position as Inari.¡± Eva introduced herself in turn, her ears flicking around nervously. ¡°And I didn¡¯t mind Hikari¡¯s behaviour. While I was surprised, it was a nice break from talking with people I know little of or about.¡±


    As the Kitsune finished, the young girl turned around to look at her, her mouth forming a small ¡®o¡¯ as she realized she hadn''t introduced herself. ¡°I am Yamanaka Hikari, and this here is my little Tom.¡± She said, holding up the fox Kit towards Eva.


    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am looking forward to seeing what Mumei saw in you to choose you as her successor.¡± Jiro continued before spotting one of the waitresses that had started walking through the crowd and waving her over.


    ¡°Well for now I am quite busy with just learning all the things she didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Eva said as the older deity handed her one of the cups the waitress had been carrying.


    ¡°Oh is that so? I would have expected her to make sure her successor knows all she needs before passing on.¡± He wondered as he filled her and then his own cup from the flask of sake he had been brought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she did what she did.¡± Eva said, her tails dangling limply behind her before taking a sip of the, surprisingly good, sake.


    ¡°Well the next few years might be quite hard for you then. Your shrine is in Tokyo right?¡± He inquired before taking a sip from his own cup. Seeing Eva nod in response he continued. ¡°While my temple is near Kyoto, one of my sons, Yamanaka Taro, is currently working as a professor of modern history in Tokyo. While he is only a couple of centuries old, he is running a support group for supernatural students and has dated a few sons and daughters of Kami in his time. I am sure he wouldn¡¯t mind helping you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I will keep him in mind if I do need help in the future.¡± She replied with a short bow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him to visit you at your shrine soon.¡± He said before his frown from earlier returned to his face, this time filled with sadness though. ¡°I still owe Mumei for helping me with something rather embarrassing at last year¡¯s get-together. So the least I can do to help her successor settle in is to introduce her to someone that can hopefully answer some questions from time to time. Or at least knows who could.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eva repeated as she finished her drink.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 8

    Later that evening, Eva was leaning against the railing of her cabin¡¯s balcony, her clothes returned to being a comfortable hoodie and a pair of jeans. As she watched the third ¡®last encore¡¯ of the mermaids'' acrobatics performance, at least what she could make out from her position, the Kitsune¡¯s thoughts wandered across the events of the day as she took another sip from her sake cup.


    The reception had been a rather boring affair for the most part. After meeting Hikari and her father, Gon had led her around and introduced her to a number of other Inaris, most of which were in a similar position as Eva as the only Kami of a small shrine.


    A little under an hour after the welcoming speech, the ship departed the harbour, and a small pack of white foxes began to guide the guests to their rooms. Eva was surprised once she reached hers. She hadn¡¯t thought about what to expect, but the cabin she had been assigned was more than she had expected. A queen sized bed stood close to the sliding glass door leading to the balcony. On the opposite wall to the bed was a large flatscreen TV showing live footage from the bow of the ship. The rest of the space in the main room was filled with a small table, a pair of comfortable seats and a minibar.


    A second door right next to the entrance led to a bathroom that was mostly filled with an actual bathtub, a small toilet and a sink.


    Standing on the small table was a chilled bottle of Sake. While Eva couldn¡¯t recognize the Brand, the label definitely looked like it was a rather expensive drink. Putting the bottle back into the bucket of ice, she noticed the folded note lying before it with the detailed itinerary of the weekend on it.


    With nothing going on until the big dinner later that evening, she decided to check out the spa area to relax a bit before checking out some of the bars. While she was in the Whiskey bar, the loud complaint of one of the Patrons couldn¡¯t be overheard. While everyone was forced to listen to the long tirade about the merits of whiskey rocks over ice cubes to keep whiskey chilled[1], Eva looked down at her own drink and the slowly dissolving ice in it. Leaning back in her chair, the young Kami pondered if she could adjust her drinks temperature with magic instead of more mundane implements. After deciding the trick might just be worth it, especially if she could figure out how to do it for larger quantities of liquid.


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    ¡®Never thought getting massaged as a Fox would be so nice.¡¯ Eva reminisced as she refilled her cup, the mermaids still doing their best to impress those still watching from the ship¡¯s aft. ¡®At least I managed to figure out this neat trick before I was asked to prepare for the Dinner.¡¯ The Kitsune thought as she chilled the sake in her cup to the perfect temperature with the first bit of magic she had managed to figure out on her own.


    As the dinner drew near, Eva was approached by one of the fox servants and escorted to meet with the event¡¯s hostess to talk over how she would introduce the newest Kami of the gathering at the start of the banquet. In the end they settled on having her personalize an otherwise generic introductory speech during the short break between first and second course. Eva would be seated at the main table with ¨­-miya-hime and her close friends.


    The young Kami was one of the first to take their seats for said dinner, now garbed in a likeness of the richly painted and embroidered kimono Mumei had handed her when she gave Eva her blessing. The Speech went of with only a few stutters owing to Eva¡¯s lack of practice with formal Japanese.[2] Though to her discomfort, a lot of the talking she was involved in at the table was centered around either how she obtained her position, which was met with a round of knowing smirks from most gathered at that table. Or she was interrogated on how she planned to go forward with her duties, if she planned to orchestrate for a shrine to herself in her homeland, or if she planned to move to Japan permanently. This part of the conversation was cut rather short though, as she had not really given too much thought to any of those recurring questions. Of course that meant for the most part, Eva was basically excluded from the small talk happening at the table while the ancient Kamis talked about their year.


    Once the banquette had concluded, the fox servants that had served as waiters began to lead the guests back to the biggest bar situated at the ship¡¯s aft, with a large panorama window front. Once most of them had been gathered, a small fireworks show was started, at the conclusion of which a couple dozen mermaids began an acrobatic performance, not unlike one of the shows put on at aquariums, accompanied by a group of Umibozou[3] on a ghostly vessel playing traditional japanese music.

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 9

    The next morning Eva had slept in quite a bit. When the white fox opened her eyes and rolled around to stretch her paws out, it was already half past ten. Blinking the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she slowly trodded towards the door. Only to arrive and remember with an annoyed growl that this door came with a doorknob not a handle. So instead of jumping up to grab said non-existing handle, Eva shifted into her human shape and opened the door to leave for breakfast.


    After a few minutes of walking, she soon reached the area where the initial reception had been held the day before. Though now much of the space was filled with small tables and a buffet of various breakfast foods. Taking off her hoody and draping it over the back of a chair with an especially nice view of the countless islands they were passing through, Eva went to get some food. After filling a small plate with a pair of pancakes and a slice of french toast for now, she made her way back to her seat and enjoyed the food and the view.


    Watching the islands pass by, Eva was a bit surprised by both their variety in size and number. Some were large enough that they could just about fit all of her shrine, if they were flat enough to build on them. Others barely managed to have room for a lonesome tree.


    When she returned from getting a second helping of food, Eva found her seat occupied by Hikari nibbling on an onigiri, her tiny fox laying asleep at her feet.


    After she loudly cleared her throat, the young half goddess turned to look at her. ¡°Good morning Lady Mayer.¡± Pointing to the hoodie still hanging over the back of the chair she continued. ¡°Do you know how to get this back to whoever forgot it here?¡±


    ¡°Morning Hikari.¡± Eva replied as she set down her plate to then take and put on her hoodie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s mine. I left it here to reserve this nice seat for me.¡± She finished as she sat down in the other chair at this table.


    ¡°Why did you leave your clothes for that and not a note?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t really do that in Japan. Where I come from, if a seat has a jacket or a towel or anything similar hanging over the back or lying on it, it usually means someone¡¯s reserving that for themselves. Usually because they had to step away for a bit, like to get more food from a buffet.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡± The young girl commented, her attention drifting back to the sea and islands around them with her curiosity sated for now.


    ¡°Say, why are you here on your own?¡± Eva inquired as she began to eat again.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s still sleeping and I am not supposed to wake him up.¡± Hikari began to explain between bites of bean paste filled rice. ¡°But I was hungry already so I went and looked for breakfast. That¡¯s when one of the nice little foxes led me here.¡±


    Hearing that the young girl was unsupervised for now, Eva got a bit worried. She¡¯d heard enough stories about her cousin¡¯s children to know that Hikari might end up causing trouble unintentionally if left on her own too long.


    ¡°Does your father know you came here?¡± The Kitsune inquired.


    After the half goddess shook her head, Eva continued. ¡°Then once you''ve finished breakfast we¡¯ll go find one of the servants so they can write a note for him.¡±


    Hikari nodded and resumed eating her onigiri.


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    Once they had both finished, Eva quickly waved over one of the fox servants, and told it to let Jiro know the whereabouts of his daughter once he woke up. Meanwhile Hikari had picked up her pet fox, now cradling the sleepy kit in her arms.


    ¡°So what would you like to do until your dad gets up?¡± Eva inquired with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Dad always told me how Mumei could turn into a beautiful fox. Can you do that too?¡±


    Nodding, Eva quickly turned into a fox, her shoulders standing about as high as Hikari¡¯s hips.


    ¡°Ta-da¡± She said with a facsimile of a smile stretched across her muzzle.


    Seeing this, Hikari oohed and aahed for a few seconds as she watched Eva turn around, showing off to the little girl, especially her three wagging tails.


    ¡°Can you grow a bit bigger and give me a ride?¡± Hikari requested after a few more moments.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out together shall we?¡± Eva said as she tried her best, and succeeded in turning into a larger fox. She then laid down on her belly so Hikari could more easily get onto her back. While it wasn¡¯t the most comfortable thing to do, and caused a few amused snickers from those that spotted them, it at least occupied the little girl and kept her out of trouble.


    About half an hour of foxy-back-rides later, one of the servants came up to them and informed them that Hikari¡¯s father had woken up and was waiting for his daughter to come back.


    They soon arrived in the lounge area where he was waiting for them. Once he noticed the pair approaching him, he got a concerned look on his face and walked up to them, quickly pulling Hikari from Eva¡¯s back and onto his own shoulders.


    ¡°Thank you for watching over my daughter.¡± He thanked Eva, still looking at the Kitsune with concern clearly filling his gaze. ¡°While I have no doubt she would have behaved herself, I feared she might have unknowingly caused trouble, as she did. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against her.¡± He continued while taking the fox kit from his daughter into his own arms so she could better hold on. ¡°She simply didn¡¯t know yet that riding a fox without a saddle is not good for the poor canine¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt that bad.¡± Eva played off his concerned words. ¡°And besides, giving her a ride was more entertaining for me than trying not to make any faux pas while talking to all the Kami around here.¡±


    ¡°I would still suggest getting a back massage. From what I heard the last time a Kitsune tried this, their back allegedly nearly killed them the next day from the pain.¡± He then sighed deeply before he continued. ¡°Even so, watching my dear child of your own volition just makes me wish to repay the debt I owe Mumei that much more. If there is something you could use help with, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Well there is actually one thing. While I will have to return to my home country next fall, I can¡¯t just abandon all the responsibilities Mumei shoved at me, can I?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I know, you can train and hire aides to help with many of them, but there are some you will not be able to relinquish until death, though many of those would wane if your shrine¡¯s popularity amongst mortals were to plummet.¡±


    ¡°So is there a way for me to perform them while living back home in Germany?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He said before explaining more clearly. ¡°While establishing a second shrine in your honor might help you travel, if what I hear of kitsune is true, it would not help with the time difference at all.¡± As she was to reply he held up a hand to stop her. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind, I know a few European deities as well as some well travelled Kami. I will see if they have any ideas on how to ease your burden.¡±


    ¡°How did you get to know European deities?¡± Eva inquired incredulous. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking that is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but the explanation involves many things not suited to Hikari¡¯s young ears.¡± He explained. ¡°I will write about it to you alongside the results of my inquiries.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Eva said, before turning around. ¡°Now I think I¡¯ll go get that massage you suggested.¡±

 The 3rd Delivery: Chapter 10

    An hour later, Eva¡¯s back had indeed started to ache. But it seemed that getting it worked on by a group of competent masseuses had indeed helped with it, as it was reduced to a rather dull pain when they had finished with her half an hour later.


    Still the dull ache in her backside kept Eva from fully enjoying the large lunch that was served a handful of hours later. Though her discomfort did not diminish the taste of the food itself, though it did make eating it a bit more complicated. The main dish was thin slices of lamb everyone needed to cook themselves on small charcoal grills with a metal pan. Which was standing in the middle of each table, necessitating leaning forward to put down and pick up the meat.


    Luckily for Eva, Gon had noticed the problems she seemed to be having and moved over to sit at ehr table and assist her with the food. He also rambled a bit about the dish, which for some reason was named after Genghis Khan, and was provided by one of the few Inaris living primarily in hokkaido.


    As they ate, the ship was slowly approaching Osaka once again, the little excursion nearing its end. When they had finished with dessert, just about everyone made for their cabins to get ready to disembark once again. After saying goodbye to her new acquaintances, and a tear-filled hug where Hikari apologised for riding on her back, Eva took her backpack and made her way down the gangway to disembark.


    About fifteen minutes and a short trip across the fox-road later, the young German arrived at Osaka station, a few minutes early to when Kurt and her had agreed to meet back up for the journey home to Tokyo.


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    Moment¡¯s later Kurt came walking up to her. ¡°Hey Fuchs, how was your little cruise?¡±


    ¡°Great, well until I nearly broke my back giving a little half god a foxy-back ride.¡± Eva quickly replied after a quick handshake. ¡°How was your weekend?¡± She inquired as the two stepped inside and began to head for the Shinkansen platforms.


    ¡°Surprisingly good. You remember that living doll from friday?¡±


    ¡°Ningyou? Was she really an actual doll?¡± Eva responded mildly surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I met her again yesterday morning.¡± Kurt explained as they passed by a group of tourists. ¡°After a while she managed to talk me into spending the day with her and the small group of Tukumogami she¡¯s effectively the boss of. Or well, more of a caretaker.¡± He continued to tell Eva. ¡°Seeing how she spent more than a few hours mediating between a broken glass bulb and a candleholder.¡±


    He took a deep breath before he continued. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how many things they managed to argue about. Anyway, any details you¡¯d like to share about your event?¡±


    ¡°Well depends, do you know a prof. Yamanaka Taro?¡± Eva responded with a question as they were reaching the platform their train would depart from.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in a history class he teaches, why?¡±


    ¡°Well I met his dad and younger sister.¡± Eva said, a smug smirk on her lips at the shocked expression creeping onto Kurt¡¯s face. ¡°He let me know his son has a habit of helping all kinds of supernatural students.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I might have to bring that up the next time I meet him.¡±


    Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their train. Once they boarded, they soon returned to exchanging more details on their experiences over this past weekend, easily passing the time until evening, when they arrived back in Tokyo.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 1

    Monday morning saw Eva trying to watch herself sweep the grounds. Try being the keyword. While she had rather quickly managed to figure out how to project herself into her mirror, she was making no progress in keeping her body from falling over unconsciously. At least she had wisened up after the first half dozen tries, sat down and leaned against a fence post before trying again.


    Though as she had started quite early, and lost all sense of time due to the repeated jumps of consciousness between her body and her mirror, Eva was quite surprised when she saw Ms. Unagi walk up to the donation box for her morning prayer.


    Of course when she noticed the slumped over form of Eva¡¯s unconscious body, she immediately ran over and began to shake Eva, saying something the young Kami couldn¡¯t quite make out from inside her mirror.


    As she reached out to return to her body before Ms. Unagi began breaking her ribs with CPR or call an ambulance, Eva noticed a rapidly growing black form descending from the clouds. When the figure had descended far enough for the young German to notice the raven wings growing from the humanoid''s back, Eva was still trying her best to return her consciousness to her body.


    By the time it was closing in on Hanako and Eva¡¯s body with a naginata in its feathered hands, she was still stuck in the mirror and gave a last lurch of desperation.


    That was when Eva felt herself stretch, and she could feel her body again. Though her perception of the world was making her stomach revolt.


    As she grabbed the other woman¡¯s shoulder it was akin to an old videogame split screen. When she dragged the both of them to the side to avoid the descending Tengu¡¯s weapon, it had morphed into something Eva would later describe as a picture in picture vision.


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    Her mind had fully returned to rest in only her body by the time her shoulder hit the grass. A second later the blade of the naginata was stuck in the fence post Eva had been leaning against, mere millimeters, if that, above where her head had been.


    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡± Eva shouts, the sound of metal splitting wood still echoing around them. ¡°And with an outsider around as well.¡± She continued while pulling herself and the shocked Hanako up.


    ¡°Silence, priestess, your goddess has stolen away my daughter, I am here to reclaim her.¡± The tengu screeched while his clawed hands slowly pulled his weapon out of the fence post.


    ¡°And that could not have waited until the clearly unrelated human wasn¡¯t going to be involved?¡±


    ¡°She came to worship her, so clearly this mortal has witnessed the treacherous goddess perform miracles.¡± He declared while gesturing towards Ms. Unagi with his polearm. ¡°Now bring me to my little star.¡±


    ¡°What is that thing talking about?¡± The office worker asked as she shied away from the naginata pointed at her. ¡°I am coming here because it was my grandmother''s favorite place, not because of some miracle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try and explain in a bit, okay?¡± Eva said as she turned to her. ¡°And you, when did you last try to interact with a mortal? That¡¯s not been why they pray at a specific shrine for hundreds of years by now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it was around the time I watched this young Nobunaga fellow raise an army. But that wasn¡¯t that long ago.¡±


    ¡°Oda Nobunaga has been dead for over four centuries¡± Hanako chimed in. ¡°How is that not long ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ¡°Eva began as she pinched her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll see if Komaki can find a moment to explain to you what you clearly missed. Let¡¯s sort this all out indoors, before more people see you.¡± Eva said as she glared at the polearm wielding Tengu. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want a hunter to think your wings make a nice trophy would you?¡±


    With that, the Kitsune grabbed onto Ms Unagi¡¯s wrist and the tengu¡¯s weapon and began to lead them away from the honden.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 2

    Today was shaping up to be the weirdest day of Hanako¡¯s life, and she had yet to have her morning chat with Yujiro after his prayers.


    First she had found Eva slumped over asleep or unconscious while heading towards the shrine¡¯s donation box. While she was used to seeing colleagues asleep at their workplace after a night shift or deathmarch, seeing the exchange student on the ground prompted a more concerned reaction. This wasn¡¯t a heated office afterall. Luckily the younger woman had woken up quickly.


    Just in time to save the both of them from an angry bird-monsters medieval weapon. After the two of them had finished their argument, Eva led both the monster and Hanako to the small house where most of the shrine¡¯s employee¡¯s lived.


    After calling for the old priest to take care of the bird, Eva had taken her to the tatami room and asked her to sit down before her.


    Letting out a deep exasperated sigh, Eva began to talk. ¡°I am sure what just happened caused a lot of questions for you. So I¡¯ll keep to the cliff notes explanation for now before I¡¯ll answer those.


    ¡°You know all those folk tales about strange things that go bump in the night? Just like the Tengu that nearly impaled us earlier, many, if not all of them are actually true. And you¡¯ve been tackled right into this stranger side of our world.¡±


    Before she could elaborate, Touya slid open the door and dropped a tablet with two cups between the two women inside and whispered something to Eva. Turning towards Hanako, the new arrival just said ¡°Good luck¡± and left again.


    ¡°So is this going to be some kind of red tea blue tea scenario?¡± Hanako asked, eyeing the cups uncertainly.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eva replied surprised, until she finally catched on. ¡°Ah, no. Don¡¯t think anyone I know would be able to let you just forget what happened this morning. It¡¯s just some tea Touya made for everyone.¡± Taking a sip from her cup, the German continues. ¡°So as said, many of the things just deemed old wives'' tale or myths by the uninitiated are actually true. And usually they do a better job than the guy that attacked us in keeping it that way.¡±


    ¡°But why stay hidden? Why wouldn¡¯t Mumei make regular appearances if she is actually real?¡±


    As she pondered her response, the German took another sip from her cup. ¡°Well it depends a lot, some just want to live their lives quietly and not be hunted by humans. Others have been threatened into staying hidden because they¡¯d try to harm humans.¡± As she took a short pause, Hanako noticed the younger woman¡¯s gaze wander for a bit. ¡° And many others, including Mumei, want to help people but don¡¯t like being exploited, so they keep to themselves.¡±


    ¡°Why would they be scared of humans? Wouldn¡¯t they have superhuman powers? And maybe even magic?¡± Hanako asked before picking up the warm cup of tea before her.


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    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for all of them, but I¡¯d assume with what humans did to each other in the past they¡¯d rather not risk it. I mean even for those that didn¡¯t reach that conclusion until then, there were the two World Wars.¡±


    There was a heavy silence between the two of them as that sunk in for Hanako, before she managed to formulate her next question.


    ¡°If secrecy is so important, why are you taking the time to explain everything to me?¡±


    ¡°Because I hope it¡¯ll lead to less issues in the long run if you know you can come to us and ask about things, rather than letting you run around and poke a hornet¡¯s nest you weren¡¯t aware of while looking for answers on your own.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She replied before picking up her cup of tea and taking a sip as well. ¡±If you don¡¯t mind me asking, are you some kind of German monster? Like a Werewolf or something?¡±


    ¡°Ah no. I just managed to stumble into something I wasn¡¯t supposed to. After getting a similar talk to this one, Komaki convinced me that staying close for now would be for the best in case that comes back to bite me somehow.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you talking to me right now? Isn¡¯t there anyone better suited to this here?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Komaki is much better suited to dealing with the Tengu that is apparently way out of date. Touya isn¡¯t really comfortable with important conversations like this. And Yukiko isn¡¯t here this morning.¡± Eva finished, seemingly holding back a sigh.


    ¡°What about Mumei then? Wouldn¡¯t she -¡± before she could finish her question, Hanako was interrupted by her phone alerting her to a new message from Yujiro. As she went to check what it was about, she noticed the time. Which was nearly half an hour later than when she normally leaves the shrine to hurry to catch her train.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m going to be late.¡±


    ¡°How long do you have until you need to be in the office?¡± Eva inquired calmly. ¡°And how close is the closest shrine to your office building?¡±


    ¡°About half an hour. Which the train ride to the nearest station takes on its own.¡± She replied before quickly finishing the cup of tea she had been served. ¡°And we have a tiny shrine on the roof of our building, but why do you ask about that?¡±


    ¡°In that case we might be able to help. Let me see if one of Mumei¡¯s messengers is available to take you there.¡± With that Eva left her alone. Unsure what Eva was on about, Hanako grabbed her purse and made her way outside. When she heard a ¡®yip¡¯ behind her, she turned around to face the snow white fox stepping out of the door behind her. As it closed the door with one of its tails it flicked another towards her hand. Assuming it wanted her to take a hold of it for some reason, Hanako placed her hand around it.


    A moment later, the air around the fox began to shimmer until it seemingly disappeared. If not for the fact she could still feel the fluffy tail in her hand, she¡¯d have assumed it did indeed vanish. Following in the direction the tail was tugging her, they soon reached the torii leading out of the shrine grounds. A strange tingling sensation spread from the hand holding on to the fox all over Hanako¡¯s body. Then they stepped through the torii and into a different world. This strange world seemed to consist solely of a cobblestone road lined with countless torii gates of all kinds of makes.


    As they walked along, Hanako thought she recognized some torii from famous shrines, until she was suddenly standing on the roof of her company¡¯s office building, seeing the skyline of Tokyo with the Fuji behind it. That moment of surprise seemed to have been enough for the fox to slip from her grip and leave her presence.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 3

    After dropping of Ms. Unagi, Eva lingered for a moment to take in the view of Tokyo sprawling out before her. With a silent sigh, the Kitsune turned around towards the small torii behind her. While she would have loved nothing more than to watch the clouds part around the Fuji and be glad her idea to bring Hanako here had worked, there was still the issue of the angry Tengu at the shrine.


    After a short stroll along the fox road, Eva returned and quickly crossed the shrine grounds. Once inside, she quickly made her way upstairs towards Komaki¡¯s room where he had taken the intruder. Sliding the door closed with one of her tails, Eva sat down next to Toya to watch the two ancient yokais talk. Poking him with her forepaw, she whispered. ¡°So what have I missed so far?¡±


    ¡°Not much really,¡± Toya quietly replied. ¡°Komaki spent most of the time first calming the Tengu down so they actually could have a conversation, not a shouting match.¡± The Tanuki interrupted himself with an annoyed sigh. ¡°And until just now they were trying to figure out just how out of date he is.¡±


    As they fell silent, both of them listened more intently to the ongoing conversation.


    ¡°So how did you come to the conclusion your daughter is here?¡± Komaki inquired, seemingly about to pinch his nose, before bringing his hand down to stroke his chin.


    ¡°The old Yamauba[1] living near us divined her location.¡± The Tengu replied as he brought out a map so old pieces of it flaked off as he unrolled it. ¡°She even used my newest map of Edo and her human knucklebones to confirm it.¡±


    At the mention of human bones, Eva flinched away. She was trying to get her composure back when something small and hard hit her on the head.


    While Komaki was moving on to inquire why the tengu had jumped straight to armed assault, Eva looked up. There sitting against the side of a wooden beam somehow, was Ratatoskr, with a tiny, squirrel sized bag in his paws. And judging by the peanut that was headed for her snout, it was filled with snacks.


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    ¡°How long has he been here?¡± Eva whispered to Toya with a quick nod upwards.


    ¡°Not sure, at least since I got back from bringing you and Ms. Unagi your tea.¡±


    ¡°Because your Kami must have imprisoned her here for whatever imaginary slight she could make up.¡± came the reply from the Intruder, snapping the Kitsune¡¯s attention back to the conversation playing out before her.


    ¡°How did you get that idea?¡± Eva interrupted from the sidelines, her self control shaken by the accusation.


    ¡°So eager to defend your mistress are you little fox?¡± The Tengu replied with a snarl, his head snapping to the German. ¡°But what other reason could there be for my little star to be away for so long.¡±


    ¡°So what would you do,¡± Komaki said, drumming his fingers on the small table between them to draw the Tengu¡¯s attention back to himself, ¡°if she was staying away from you of her own volition?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. She would never willingly miss one of our games of Go.¡± Came the immediate response as he crossed his arms defensively.


    ¡°Children can be unpredictable at the best of times.¡± Komaki replied, his gaze dropping downwards. ¡°So assuming she didn¡¯t return because she doesn¡¯t want to for one reason or another, what would you do about it?¡±


    ¡°Take her back of course. The world is too dangerous to just let her wander around on her own so far from home.¡± The Tengu replied, slamming his fist on the table. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t matter because you are keeping her here against her will.¡±


    As the conversation between the two old yokai began to turn circular due to the Tengu¡¯s refusal to entertain the possibility that Karasuza might not be forced to stay someplace except her home, Eva could hear someone approaching slowly.


    A moment later, Karasuza opened the door, a faint smile spreading across her lips as she spotted the locals. ¡°Ah there you all are, I put the groceries away but-¡± when she spotted the Tengu, she choked on the rest of her words, a panicked expression on her face.


    Before anyone could react, she hastily stumbled backwards.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 4

    With the two old men regressing into a shouting match after Karasuza¡¯s hasty retreat, Eva quickly raced down the stairs and out the front door. Sniffing the air she could easily tell her runaway friend had left the same way, but the Kitsune could not tell if she had continued on foot or taken to the skies.


    With neither birds nor visitors around either, Eva was left without a clue as to how Karasuza ran away. Picking up a rock, she focused on how giving this to her friend might convince her to come back, and slowly the route towards her quarry became clear.


    Running out of the front gates, Eva followed the path to her left, away from the nearest train or bus station. As she wove her way between the legs of children and teenagers on their way to school, Eva wove an illusion around herself to appear more doglike.


    A few moments later Eva was suddenly redirected up the side of a building she had just passed. As she reached the roof, the Kitsune spotted a tiny, presumably private, shrine with a torii just big enough for her to fit through. One short stroll along the foxroad later, and she found herself in an unfamiliar part of Tokyo, with surprisingly few people around. The only reason Eva was sure she was still in the same town were the Tokyo Tower and Fuji barely visible between the buildings around her.


    But before she had managed to get a couple of blocks away, her direction sense directed her back to the torii she had come through. Muttering under her breath how she needed to take some time to figure out ways to get better directions out of it, the Kitsune once again crossed the fox road and emerged next to a small subway station. Instead of following the suggested path straight across the tracks, Eva decided to wait for a bit first. And, just as she had expected, a minute later she was headed back through the torii and onto the fox road.


    Once she stepped through another gate, Eva found herself in a more familiar area of Tokyo again. Though she did start to wonder how Karasuza had ended up in the same neighbourhood that Kurt lived in.  As she got closer to Kurt¡¯s apartment building, she began to wonder if this was truly just a coincidence, or if the two had actually gotten to know each other well enough for Karasuza to run towards the Werewolf.


    Slipping into the other exchange student¡¯s apartment through a small open window, she found her two friends sitting across a table, with a cup of tea each. Though as the two sat in a heavy silence, Eva assumed she wouldn¡¯t interrupt anything. She walked up to the table and sat down on one of the empty chairs as she transformed back into a human.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you two knew each other.¡± She greeted the others, causing Kurt to look up, while the younger woman began to frantically look through all the windows she could see.


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    ¡°Did my father follow you?¡± she inquired hastily, her heart racing enough for the two others to note with their better than human hearing.


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Eva said confidently. ¡°Even I would have had problems following myself.¡±


    As Karasuza relaxed again, the werewolf spoke up. ¡°To answer your question, no, we don¡¯t really know each other. But I¡¯ve seen her with you from time to time. And when a bird turns into a panicked woman you recognize as a friend of a friend, in public, it¡¯s simply the right thing to do to not let her stick around in public.¡± After a short pause to take a sip from his tea he continued. ¡°But now that you are here, I am sure we can convince Karasuza to go and talk it over with her Dad like adults.¡±


    ¡°NO DON¡¯T¡± She shouted in response, barely managing not to knock over her cup with her frantic gesticulation. ¡°He¡¯ll not talk at all, just drag me back home. And I just can¡¯t, I won¡¯t spend all my time listening to him rant about the ¡®good old days¡¯ filled with war and famine. I also like not having to play Go every evening.¡±


    ¡°Kurt, you, Karasuza and I might be able to go there and talk about it like adults.¡± Eva began before giving a deep sigh. ¡°But her father probably won¡¯t. He assumed trying to run people through with a weapon would be an appropriate first impression.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kurt exclaimed surprised before turning to Karasuza. ¡°Guess you weren¡¯t exaggerating when you tried to explain how out of touch he was. But what else could we do?¡±


    ¡°I could go and fetch Komaki -¡±


    ¡°NO. That¡¯s just another chance for my dad to find me again.¡± Karasuza interrupted Eva¡¯s suggestion harshly.


    After this, the trio sank into a contemplative silence.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention something about prof. Yamanaka doing something to help out supernatural students?¡± Kurt inquired just as a notification rang on his phone. ¡°I have his class tonight, maybe we could ask for his help.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can trust him?¡± Karasuza asked unsurely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know him, but his dad and sister seemed nice enough.¡± The Kitsune responded as Kurt stood up and got ready to leave.


    ¡°Okay, I need to get to class now. I¡¯ll ask prof Yamanake if he can help after class.¡± Kurt said as he made his way to the door. ¡°Karasuza feel free to stay here today, but if you break anything I¡¯ll tell your dad.¡± With that he stepped outside, leaving the two young women behind. Until a similar notification reminded Eva of the fact she had classes as well that day.


    ¡°Are you going to be alright on your own?¡± Eva asked as she turned back into a fox to fit through the tiny window she came through more easily.


    ¡°Yes, just don¡¯t let my Father know where I ran off to for now, please.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Eva replied before jumping out the window and heading off to her own classes, hoping there wouldn¡¯t be anything too important covered, because she had nothing to take notes on with her and not enough time to go back and grab her bag.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 5

    Of course, that day right in her first class, the professor announced that what they¡¯d be covering over the next couple of lessons would be guaranteed to be part of the exam. Luckily for Eva, one of her classmates was still taking notes in dead tree format, and willing to lend her some sheets of paper and a pencil.


    The day went largely as usual, except that the Kitsune regularly checked her phone to see if Kurt had sent her any messages about his progress in contacting his prof for help. Though the only one she did receive was to let her know he hadn¡¯t managed to talk to him during his office hours, so the werewolf would most likely have to wait until the end of classes that night.


    When her classes were finally over for the day late in the afternoon, Eva was about to head back to Kurt¡¯s place when her phone rang.


    ¡°Hi Touya, what''s up?¡± she asked, having seen the Tanuki¡¯s name on the caller id.


    ¡°Hey Eva, say are you done with classes yet? Ms. Uangi is back with more questions. And you know how bad I am with explaining things.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t Komaki or Yukiko take care of that then?¡±


    ¡°Well no. Komaki took that crazy Tengu out for drinks so he doesn¡¯t end up destroying our home. And Yukiko headed off for another of her lessons a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine. I¡¯ll be there soon, just got out of my last class for today.¡± Eva replied before hanging up.


    Once she arrived, Eva found Ms. Unagi waiting for her in the tatami room.


    ¡°Good evening Eva, thank you again for saving me this morning.¡± Hanako greeted the German as she stepped into the room. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too much of a bother that I have more questions already.¡±


    ¡°Not too much, no.¡± Eva said as she kneeled down opposite of the older woman, before grumbling under her breath. ¡°Though I¡¯d like to not be stuck dealing with them.¡±


    ¡°Ah good, I¡¯ll get right to them then.¡± Hanako said before she started to wring her hands as she slowly formed her first question. ¡°You see I¡¯d like to, if it¡¯s really not too much to ask, speak to Mumei herself.¡±


    Hanako took a short moment to take a deep breath, but before Eva could interject anything, she continued. ¡°It¡¯s not about demanding proof. If the Bird man nearly killing us wasn¡¯t enough, the way that fox took me to work certainly was. It¡¯s just. I used  to escort my blind grandma to this shrine for her morning prayer every morning from the time I started school until she passed away.¡±


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    When I asked her one day why she kept coming here day after day without pause, she told me that the only thing she ever saw was Mumei asking her to follow a fox to safety out of a burning building in her youth.¡± Before continuing, she took another deep breath. If she noticed Eva¡¯s eyes getting a bit wet, she didn¡¯t show any sign of noticing.


    ¡°Now I want to ask her if she really did save my grandmother back then. I¡¯m not going to stop coming and praying to her no matter the answer, but I¡¯d just like to know for sure.¡±


    It took some moments to take in this short tale, and a few more for Eva to deliberate how to respond. After all, she was definitely not ready to reveal herself as the new Kami. Not to mention she had no idea how one would go about being appropriately divine for such a conversation.


    ¡°I am not sure, but I believe she would not mind too much. I''ll have to check with Komaki how we would go about setting it all up though, so I can¡¯t make you any promises right now.¡±


    Hanako let out a sigh as she heard that. ¡°Thank you. So what that fox did this morning to become invisible and teleport us to my company¡¯s offices. That was real magic wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes it was.¡± Eva replied, glad that at least one of the human¡¯s questions was easy to answer.


    ¡°Do you think a normal human can learn to do it as well?¡± the office lady inquired while leaning slightly forward, her eyes wide and filled with hope.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve heard about humans that managed to do actual magic.¡± Eva began to explain. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any idea how a mortal would get started with it.¡± Seeing the corners of Hanako¡¯s mouth drop, the Kitsune quickly continued. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around though, maybe a fox has some ideas how to go about it.¡±


    ¡°I-I see, thanks.¡± Hanako replied with a bow. ¡°I think then I only have one other thing to bring up with you. At least until you got some more answers for me.¡±


    ¡°Which would be?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll probably be coming by more often than normal for the next while, and I thought it would be good to have a plausible excuse. So how would you feel about helping us out with our little exhibition from the fire fighters next month? It¡¯s nothing too big, mind, simply an event to raise awareness about common ways house fires get started, spreading some basic first aid knowledge and raising some donations.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I could help with cp-, no actually I¡¯d have to look up japanese CPR standards for that. I don¡¯t have any supplies for RUD[1], but I could demonstrate various ways to bandage a wound.¡± Eva offered quickly. ¡°That¡¯s always a big hit with kids back home even without faked wounds underneath. Or I could -¡± At that point, the Kitsune was interrupted by her phone ringing. Seeing it was from Kurt, she quickly apologized to Hanako before taking the call.


    ¡°Hi Kurt, how did it go?¡±

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 6

    Kurt¡¯s day had been off to a weird start with running into the distraught Karasuza during his morning walk. But when he reached his first class, barely in time, things began to settle into their normal routine.


    While he listened with rabid interest as the lecturer told them about various facets of Inari worship, the werewolf wrote down a number of questions he¡¯d like to ask the youkai living at Eva¡¯s shrine. Maybe he could even ask Eva to introduce him to a more experienced Inari to talk about all of this. The history class after that was a bit on the boring side. Though that might have been due to Kurt not paying that much attention with his break coming up soon. Which luckily overlapped with prof. Yamanaka¡¯s office hours.


    After grabbing a yakisoba sandwich from a vending machine on his way, Kurt arrived at the professor¡¯s office. And the surprisingly long queue of students looking to speak to him. Though when it would finally have been his time, prof. Yamanaka followed the leaving student out of his office.


    ¡°Ah Mr. Wagner wasn¡¯t it?¡± he said a moment after he saw Kurt. ¡°I am quite sorry, but I have to end my office hours early today. If it¡¯s something urgent, would you mind waiting until after my history lecture?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sure.¡± the werewolf replied unsurely before the professor turned and walked down the corridor in a hurry, followed by the white dog he brought to class every day.


    After finishing his sandwich and sending Eva a short message to let her know he had not managed to talk to the Professor yet, Kurt headed to his class on Japanese literature.


    Though he quickly resigned himself to asking one of the other students to share their notes on this lecture, as he was much too distracted with worrying about Karasuza and if Prof. Yamanaka would help the three of them. The next few classes were much the same, until it was finally time for his last class that day, Modern history with prof. Yamanaka.


    But when the class was supposed to start, the professor wasn¡¯t actually there yet. He came a few minutes late, wheeling in an old fashioned dia projector.


    ¡°Please excuse my tardiness.¡± He addressed the students while setting up the projector. ¡°Today¡¯s lecture might make some of you feel ill or faint. In which case you may feel free to leave early. That said, I believe it is of utmost importance for everyone in this room to be aware of what we will cover in class today.¡± Finishing with the projector, he took a remote control with him to the front of the room, and turned to face the students.


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    ¡°The war crimes performed by imperial troops during the second world war. With a special focus on the exploits of Unit 731. Even though modern Japan does not deserve any blame for what these men did, we cannot simply forget it like some would like to do.¡±[1]


    With that he began a rather gruesome lecture, punctuated by unnerving images of experiments, oppressed and exploited people, as well as of the perpetrators.[2] Through all of this, Kurt was glad for his less human nature. Because if he hadn¡¯t been as used to the image of werewolves ripping into deer and other woodland critters, he would have lost his lunch for sure. Surprisingly, a slight majority of the other students stayed for the whole lecture, even though many of them looked ready to vomit any moment.


    While the rest of the students left a bit more hastly than normal, Kurt stayed behind and instead made his way towards the professor.


    ¡°So what did you want to talk about earlier today?¡± prof. Yamanaka inquired as he slowly moved towards the dia projector. ¡°After all, you have missed not a single one of my classes, and your Japanese is more than adequate to follow them fully.¡±


    ¡°It is not actually related to my studies.¡± Kurt admitted immediately, but he hesitated a bit trying to find the right words before continuing. ¡°I heard you can help not quite normal students with special problems.¡±


    ¡°And who told you that?¡± The professor inquired, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡° A friend of mine met your father and younger sister this weekend. He told her to contact you if she had any problems.¡± After taking a short breath, Kurt went on. ¡°And as I am one of your students, she asked me to speak with you about the problem we are facing right now.¡±


    As he listened, prof. Yamanaka seemed lost in thought a bit, stayed silent for a few moments more before responding. ¡°Where did they meet? And may I ask for the name of your friend?¡±


    ¡°A weekend cruise in Osaka. And I am not sure if her name would tell you anything, it¡¯s Eva Mayer.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The professor simply stated as he hastily unplugged the projector. ¡°Then would you please open the door and follow me. I believe the rest of this conversation should happen somewhere more private than a public classroom.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Kurt said as he opened the door and held it for the cart with the projector, the professor and the old dog. He then followed him through the corridors of the building until they reached an old and, judging by the cobwebs, rarely used storage room, which prof. Yamanaka locked behind them.


    ¡°Could you call Miss Mayer so we can have her involved in this as well?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Kurt confirmed as he quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and started a call to Eva. And set the phone to speaker a moment later.


    ¡°Hi Kurt, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°Greetings Miss Mayer. We are just getting started.¡± Prof. Yamanaka said.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 7

    ¡°Before we get any further, I¡¯d like to ask just one question.¡± Came the professor''s voice from Eva¡¯s phone as she tried to gesticulate in a vaguely apologetic manner towards Hanako as she moved to her own room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask the Inari that took you to that cruise for assistance first?¡±


    ¡°Because that would be myself.¡± Eva admitted as she slid the door shut behind her. ¡°I got handed this position out of the blue a bit over a month ago.¡± She finished before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°I see.¡± The professor stated with a surprisingly melancholic tone. ¡°Well then it is probably quite good luck my father informed you about myself. While I wouldn¡¯t presume to know much about the duties of a Kami, I have more than enough experience helping students settle into new circumstances and unfamiliar surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Came Kurt¡¯s reply. ¡°But can we move on to the actual issue at hand?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± The older man concurred, ¡°though it would help immensely if one of you could tell me what the actual problem is.¡±


    ¡°A Tengu dropped by my shrine this morning, brandishing a weapon, nearly stabbed one of the visitors, all because his daughter had been staying with us and he wanted her back. Which said daughter didn¡¯t appreciate, at all. So she¡¯s now run off and trying her best to evade her Father, as she wants to stay here in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you know where she might be now?¡± The professor inquired, ¡°Getting her input on why she wants to stay here, as well as learning more about her father would help with finding a solution.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she ran into me and I let her stay in my apartment for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Splendid, Miss Mayer, I presume you know how to get there?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°Great, Mr. Wagner, come with me, I¡¯ll get us there faster than the train.¡±


    ¡°Well I guess we¡¯ll see you soon then.¡± Kurt said as he terminated the call.


    Putting away her phone, Eva turned into a fox once more. Taking a moment to focus, she slowly wove the same illusion she used that morning to appear invisible. It took her two tries, as the first time she didn¡¯t quite manage to make it change correctly as she moved. Once the Kitsune was confident she¡¯d not be seen, she focused on finding her way to Kurt¡¯s place. While she knew the way to the closest Torii of her shrine, stepping off of the Foxroad at the right one was still beyond her.


    She soon arrived near her destination. But when she looked up towards Kurt¡¯s apartment, she stopped in her tracks at what she saw. Running across the sky was a giant white fox, its feet always finding a cloud to step on that held the beast''s weight. Sitting on its back were an old man in a suit and Kurt. As it approached Kurt¡¯s balcony, it slowly shrunk, ending up as a big dog once it landed besides the old man, who Eva assumed was prof. Yamanaka.


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    Quickly running up the side of the building to join them, Eva barely got a glance of the professor leading Karasuza into Kurt¡¯s tiny bedroom.


    ¡°Hi Fuchs.¡± Kurt greeted his friend as he closed the balcony door behind her. Noticing Eva watching the recently closed bedroom door, he continued ¡°Prof. Yamanaka asked to talk with her in private about why she ran away as well as her father.¡±


    ¡°So we just wait here for them to finish?¡±


    ¡°Well I had planned to make some tea and see if I have any sweets or snacks around.¡±


    Nodding to show she understood, Eva sat down on a chair as Kurt got started in his tiny kitchen.


    It took quite a while, in fact dusk was well underway by the time the professor and the runaway left the small bedroom again. Seeing the tea and biscuits laid out on the table, prof. Yamanaka led the young woman to a chair, and pulled it out for her. Sitting down next to her, he turned to look at Kurt. ¡°Ah thank you Mr. Wagner, the tea is quite appreciated.¡± After taking a quick sip, his gaze fell and he led out a deep sigh before continuing. ¡°But I fear this problem will not be solved easily. While her father would respect it if someone beat him in some form of contest to decide Karasuza¡¯s fate, that wouldn¡¯t solve the larger issue of him becoming bored and restless without her there to keep him occupied.¡±


    ¡°But how would we even get that far?¡± Karasuza burst out. ¡°As I said he has been a master of Go and Shogi for centuries. I don¡¯t want anyone to risk getting injured fighting him for me in actual combat.¡±


    ¡°So he would honor any agreement we make?¡± Kurt asked stroking his beard.


    ¡°Yes, the only ones I know that value their word more than old fashioned hermits like him are Kitsune.¡± the professor confirmed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he missed deciding the fate of armies and the outcomes of wars with his advice this morning?¡± Kurt then asked Karasuza.


    ¡°Yes, but what does that help us, there¡¯s no wars going on in Japan for him to influence.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going with this Mr. Wagner?¡±


    ¡°Well we could offer him to face him in a contest involving not only one''s skill in commanding an army and knowledge of tactics, but also approximates the influence of logistics on the outcome of a battle.¡± Kurt said before making a dramatic pause. ¡°Why not try to convince him to face someone in a real time strategy game.¡±


    ¡°An interesting proposal. From what I have read, these games model fictive armies closely enough that they might give him the feeling of commanding mortals once more. But the abstraction involved might give him a handicap he would not have if he were playing something he was well practiced with.¡±


    ¡°That, and if we get him a laptop and mobile internet, he could face off against millions of others online.¡± Kurt elaborated. ¡°So even if he won this contest, there is a good chance he would allow Karasuza more time to be away from home.¡±


    ¡°Now we only need to figure out how Ms. Mayer can convince him to agree to such a contest.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Eva shouted in surprise, her head snapping to look at the professor.


    ¡°Because Karasuza has been offered and accepted sanctuary from your shrine. Thus, at least from his perspective, you are responsible for her.¡± Professor Yamanaka explained with a friendly smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am sure between the four of us we will come up with an argument that should sway him.¡±

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 8

    ¡°Yes, I think those arguments might be able to convince him.¡± Karasuza finally relented after the other three finished outlining another set of arguments Eva could use to convince her father to agree to their proposed gamble.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Prof. Yamanaka responded, a smile on his lips. ¡°Now Miss Mayer just needs to manifest by her shintai and talk to your father.¡±


    ¡°One problem with that.¡± Eva commented with a deep sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± Her voice fills with uncertainty and doubt as she continues. ¡°I barely manage to move between different, well, pieces of myself.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that does pose a problem.¡± The professor mumbled as he stroked his beard. ¡°Well, Mr. Wagner, Miss Karasuza, would you mind overly if we left the two of you on your own for a while?¡±


    Kurt just replied with a short shake of his head.


    ¡°Splendid. Miss Mayer, would you mind accompanying me?¡± He asked as he stood up and moved towards the balcony door. ¡°I have some tomes at my home that might help us solve this problem with a little bit of effort.¡±


    Eva, while getting up, looked at Kurt, who gave her a thin smile and nod. ¡°Okay, how will we get there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll ride Wan there.¡± He said, waving towards the white fox next to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his collar has a charm sewn in that will deflect attention away from him.¡± The professor explained as he let the fox out onto the balcony, where it quickly begins to grow to the size of a horse.


    ¡°Won¡¯t we be uncomfortable riding without a saddle?¡± Eva asked, a scowl forming on her lips. ¡°Not to mention not falling off. I have never ridden an animal before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wan won¡¯t let you fall off.¡± prof. Yamanaka said, trying to disperse her concerns. ¡°And even if you manage to fall off, he¡¯ll catch you before anything happens.¡±


    He then climbs on the back of his fox, and holds out his hand to help Eva up. She takes it, and with a little help from the elderly halfgod quickly sits down behind him on the back of Wan.


    As the giant animal they were riding jumped off the building, the young Kitsune was mesmerized by the tiny clouds forming underneath its feet. Wan pushed off of them as if they were solid ground, just to land on another forming just in time. The view below them was a sight to see as well. Streetlights and windows shone little spots of light onto the otherwise dark cityscape below them, making it all seem calm and quiet. Which was the last way Eva would describe any part of Tokyo when experienced from the ground. But up here, with the noises of traffic and people far below them, it all seemed almost serene.


    The ride was over all too soon as they began to descend towards a nice looking apartment building. They landed on one of the balconies, and prof. Yamanaka opened the door for them as his pet shrunk to a more reasonable size.


    Waving her forward, he turned to Eva. ¡°After you.¡±


    Doing as she was asked, the Kitsune found herself in a surprisingly large living room, at least it would have been, if it weren¡¯t filled with enough book shelves to reduce the effective size down to something more average for Tokyo.


    ¡°Welcome to my humble abode. I have a Tatami room through the second door on the right, do make yourself comfortable there please.¡± He informed her as he moved towards a door on the left side of the room. ¡°I will join you shortly after looking through my more mystical tomes.¡±


    Eva did as she was asked, and stepped through the indicated door, finding herself in a room maybe half the size of the Tatami room at the shrine. Seeing a pile of small, flat cushions in one corner, she picked up one of them and placed it closer to the center of the room, before sitting down on it.


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    A few moments later, the professor stepped inside as well, followed by his fox. Under one arm he carried a large leather bound book, while in his other was an incense holder, with a stick of already burning incense in it.


    ¡°While I am not capable of doing it myself, some of my siblings managed to learn to manifest a separate body.¡± prof. Yamanaka began to explain as he set down the incense before Eva, then took his place opposite of her. ¡°In this tome, my father wrote instructions on how to help someone do it, if they are capable of it. From what I hear the first time can be a bit unnerving, but do not worry, nothing bad will come of this.¡±


    He then put the tome down and began to read aloud.


    ¡°Now close your eyes. Inhale deeply. Feel the smoke of the incense fill your lungs while the magic in them nourishes your spirit.¡±


    As she did all that, Eva could indeed feel the smoke sting in her lungs, while the part of her connected to the mirror in the shrine and the wooden mask in Hanako¡¯s home felt warmed, as if the incense burner before her was a warm campfire on a cold fall night.


    ¡°Now as you exhale, let that nourished part of you flow out as well.¡±


    While exhaling, the Kitsune tried to nudge that warmth to leave with the air. Which seemed to work, as that part of herself felt a bit colder now. Still warmer than before, but not as warm as while she inhaled.


    ¡°Inhale, then exhale again, feel the nourishment flowing in, then out with each breath. Repeat again. Now the next time you exhale, feel how part of your spirit diffuses into the air around you alongside the air you breathe out. Once you feel confident you sense all of it, try keeping it together as you exhale, instead of letting it disperse.¡±


    On her next exhalation, the young German did focus on containing that warmth, and wrapped an imaginary blanket around it, like you would to keep a patient from suffering hypothermia. And her efforts were rewarded by a sphere-ish feeling blob of warmth hanging before her face.


    ¡°Now push yourself into it and let it assume the true shape of your spirit.¡±


    As she pushed, the Kitsune suddenly found herself with eyes open, looking at prof. Yamanaka from a standing position.


    ¡°Congratulations, Inari-sama.¡± He said as he bowed before her. ¡°It looks like you will grow to be a wonderful Kami one day.¡±


    Confused by that comment, Eva tried to look at herself, which was made a bit more difficult, seeing as she was currently transparent, allowing her to see her body sitting behind her through the kimono her new body was wearing. From the looks of it it heavily resembled the Furisode Eva had been handed by Mumei, except that the scene of a fox dragging its prey to a village seemed smaller, and was overshadowed by a procession of animals marching through a forest of blossoming cherry trees that covered the whole garment, and was lead by a white, nine tailed fox.


    ¡°Come, this way¡± the professor said as he led the young Kami out of the room and towards a mirror mounted in the hallway.


    There Eva could take in her full appearance. Her hair was still it¡¯s normal light brown color, but done up in a rather complex and formal looking style, with braids wrapped around parts of it. It was kept in place by a pair of hairpins that seemed to be made from wood and growing living cherry blossoms at the ends of it, with a seemingly unending number of petals drifting down from it and dissolving before falling below her shoulders. Her eyes had kept their natural color as well, but the pupils seemed as if they might contract to slits instead of circles in harsher light. And the orbs also seemed filled with a wisdom Eva doubted she actually had.


    The ears on top of her head seemed larger as they normally were, and both them and the three full sized tails behind her had a lightly golden sheen to them.


    ¡°Is this really me?¡± Eva wondered aloud, as she put a hand to the mirror, and was mildly surprised by actually feeling the chill of the glass.


    ¡°Yes. Or at least the purely spiritual part of you.¡± He informed her. ¡°Now you mentioned you already know how to move your consciousness between your various vessels. If you do this now, this manifestation of your spirit will most likely collapse and return to the vessel of your choice.¡±


    He turned to walk back to the Tatami room. ¡°Now I¡¯ll see you again shortly, then we shall try this once more to make sure nothing goes wrong when it counts.¡±

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 9

    It took a few more hours until Eva was practiced enough that prof. Yamanaka was satisfied. Though by that time, it was decidedly too late to put their plan into motion that evening, and after confirming with Kurt over a short call, they decided to do so early the next morning. The Professor then put down a spare futon for the Kitsune in his Tatami room, and left her to rest for the night.


    The next morning, Eva was woken by a knock on her door. ¡°Miss Mayer, it would be good if you could get up soon. I have put a towel for you near the sink in the bathroom. Just across the hallway. As I need to leave for work in half an hour, it would be most appreciated if you could hurry with getting ready to leave.¡±


    As the Professor walked away from the door again, Eva slowly rolled onto all four paws, stretched her legs and three tails, then pushed the door open with one of the latter. While making her way to the bathroom, Eva transformed into her normal human form, and stepped into the surprisingly spacious bathroom. After quickly taking a shower, she used some more shapeshifting to get ready instantly.


    Leaving the bathroom, she took a look around and soon found prof. Yamanaka enjoying a small breakfast.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality and your instructions.¡± Eva said with a slight bow. ¡°I left the towel where I found it.¡±


    ¡°It is no problem. You were a student that needed help, and I was in a position to give it.¡± The Professor said between bites of food. ¡°Though now that I am no longer able to help, I wish you the best of luck going forward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eva said, before turning into a fox again. She then stepped onto the balcony again, before heading down the side of the building to the nearest convenience store to get some breakfast.


    Stepping inside disguised as a vaguely local looking woman, Eva got herself some fried chicken without issue. Stepping outside once more, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, and with the first piece of chicken in her free hand began a call with Touya.


    It took the Tanuki a few moments to pick up, but when he did, his slightly sleepy voice greeted Eva with a mumbled. ¡°Hello Eva.¡±


    ¡°Morning Touya. I finally found a solution to the issue of our unfriendly visitor.¡± She informed him happily before taking a big bite from her breakfast.


    ¡°Do tell.¡± Came the snippy reply from the other end.


    Taking a moment to swallow, Eva continued. ¡°I¡¯ll not go into too much detail, But when Kurt arrives later, please give him my laptop, he knows what to do.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah . if you could keep people away from the Honden today, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°And how do you suggest we do that?¡± Touya asked, the eye roll audible in his tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, can¡¯t you think of some excuse if your Kami asks for privacy in her shrine?¡± Eva asks after finishing another bite of chicken.


    Touya sighs deeply, before replying. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Komaki, maybe he has a list of excuses ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Eva finishes as she hangs up and unwraps her second piece of chicken.


    After finishing her food while walking, the Kitsune ducked into an empty side street. Quickly turning into a Fox once again, she then quickly took off to a nearby Torii to speed up her walk to Kurt¡¯s place considerably.


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    Arriving on the balcony, she saw her two friends enjoy their breakfast. A quick knock on the door caught the other woman¡¯s attention. A quick conversation Eva couldn¡¯t make out later,  Kurt got up and opened the door for her with a mumbled ¡°Hallo Fuchs.¡±


    ¡°Morning. Everything good to go with you two?¡± The three tailed fox inquired as she stepped inside, with the werewolf closing the door again behind her.


    ¡°As good as it can be.¡± Karasuza hesitantly said after finishing her current bite of toast.


    ¡°Bit nervous but otherwise fine.¡± Kurt said as he moved back to the table. ¡°You want anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I got myself something on the way here.¡± She replied while sitting down on an empty chair.


    ¡°So are you ready for this?¡± Kurt asked, a hint of concern unwilling to leave his voice.


    ¡°As ready as I can be I guess.¡± The Kitsune said with a deep sigh as she leaned back against the chair. ¡°Is it still fine if I stay here until this is over?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing Fuchs. If you feel that helps keeping your secrets.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After this a companionable silence fell over the trio, until Kurt and Karasuza finished their breakfast and took their leave. Eva meanwhile laid down on the floor, so her body wouldn¡¯t fall over and get injured.


    It only took a moment to push herself to the mindscape where she was equidistant from all her shintai. As expected the area representing her flesh and blood body was black, matching with her closed eyes. Her mirror showed the normal scene of closed shrine doors. What surprised her for a moment was the view she got representing the mask Hanako owned. Instead of being all black like usual, the view was overlooking a tiny bedroom, with a pair of slowly burning sticks of incense sticking up excessively close to the point of view of the mask.


    Huh, so Hanako made a small shrine in my honor recently. Eva thought to herself as she pushed forward to enter her mirror. Being a mirror was still a strange experience for her, but after a moment she began to focus on materializing nearby.


    While she didn¡¯t have the mental crutch of focusing on the air she exhaled, Eva still managed to materialize herself rather quickly.


    A few minutes of unsure waiting later, she heard the voices of Komaki and the angry Tengu approach. Deciding to wait for them to arrive, Eva sat down on the table her mirror was placed on, careful not to disturb any of the ornaments or artifacts.


    When they opened the doors, Eva tried her best to sound high and mighty, as well as displeased as she spoke up immediately, not giving the two men a chance to get a word in.


    ¡°Greetings. While you would deserve nothing less than being banished to the farthest mountains in solitude for attacking my helpless worshipers and servant unprovoked, I shall show you the honor and respect you so clearly lack.¡± She began to recite the speech they had settled on the evening before. ¡°While your daughter came to me of her own volition seeking sanctuary, I shall graciously allow you one, and only one, chance to prove your worth as her guardian.


    ¡°As she ran to escape your old fashioned views and lifestyle for one more in tune with the modern world we all live in, you shall have to triumph over a challenge from this world she deemed superior.¡± At this point she carefully raised her hand to silence any protests from the Tengu before he could voice them. ¡°Do not worry, for the challenge I choose, shall pit you and a champion of mine against each other in a contest of Strategy and Tactics, both fields your kind is said to excel in. If you win I will let you take your daughter back, this time. If my champion should beat you however, you will leave in peace, and not return to this place.¡±


    The Tengu clicked his beak a few times, trying to take all of this in. A few minutes under Eva¡¯s judging glare later, he finally responded. ¡°Very well, I shall accept. And I will defeat this champion of yours.¡±


    ¡°Splendid.¡± Eva said with a faint smile. ¡°Komaki, Kurt will arrive soon and explain the contest in greater detail than I ever could.¡± With her final words said, Eva returned to her mirror, and then moved on back to her body.


    Getting up from Kurt¡¯s floor, she hopes everything will go as they had hoped. Stepping out onto the balcony, she closes the door as much as she can behind herself, turns into a fox and begins to make her way back to her shrine.

 The 4th Delivery: Chapter 10

    When Eva finally arrived at the shrine she was greeted by a scene of more or less disgruntled regular visitors leaving the shrine grounds. As she stepped inside, the Kitsune noticed a few of the less friendly, to her at least, elderly visitors saying a short prayer before crossing the path to be on the other side of it from Eva. Others just passed her by, some that didn¡¯t recognize her telling her not to bother today, while those that did gave her various mumbled wishes of good luck.


    One of them even stopped before Eva and greeted her politely. ¡°Hello, you¡¯re the foreigner working for Komaki right?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes that would be me.¡±


    He put a hand on Eva¡¯s shoulder and gave it what was probably intended to be a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Best of luck with the purification. That poor dead bird dying in the Honden surely isn¡¯t a good sign of things to come.¡±


    Unsure what exactly he meant, Eva just looked after the leaving visitor unsurely. After a moment though, she remembered she was here to check in on Kurt and how he was doing against Karasuza¡¯s father.


    Getting into the house was rather quick once she had moved past the worshipers on their way home. The scene inside though made her check the time on her phone. After confirming it had only been about 20 minutes since she left Kurt¡¯s place, she looked up again.


    Sitting at the table and before Kurt¡¯s laptop was Karasuza¡¯s father, while everyone was standing or sitting behind him gazes glued to the devices screen.


    Deciding not to interrupt whatever was happening, she walked over to stand next to Kurt. Leaning closer towards him she whispered: ¡°What exactly did I miss?¡±


    Kurt twitched a bit, having completely missed Eva approaching. ¡°Woah. Hey there Fuchs.¡± He said, before taking a moment to gather his thoughts. ¡°And you missed most of it really.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Eva inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Mhm. As we had agreed, we set up the game on your computer as well and gave him a few minutes explanation of everything.¡± Kurt began to explain, nodding towards the currently unused laptop on the table. ¡°Well, turns out he¡¯s not as bad with technology as many other elderly people.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s already all over?¡± She pushed further. ¡°I thought you said usually a game takes ten minutes. Did you guys not play a best of 3?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Kurt said with a shake of his head. ¡°He beat me handily in the first game. Then demanded to be shown a worthier opponent.¡±


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    ¡°And you just let him off? What about getting Karasuza the chance to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Well, not ¡®just¡¯.¡± Kurt says with a shake of his head. ¡°In fact she pushed him about it. Batted her eyelashes at him, pulled out the puppy dog eyes and all that. Then she asked how he could just give up like this. How he¡¯d forfeit if he ended the match there.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well. He told her that if we managed to produce an actually challenging opponent for him ¡®in this lightning filled machine¡¯ He was willing to concede that his views of modern humanity were wrong, and he¡¯d allow her to explore it at her leisure.¡±


    ¡°So how is it going with that?¡± Eva inquired her gaze slowly drifting to the screen filled with moving armies that didn¡¯t tell her much.


    ¡°Well he has been through one ranking match so far. He breezed through it. I am curious to see where he will be ranked.¡±


    ¡°So how do these ranking matches work?¡± Eva inquired, still not sure what was actually going on on screen.


    ¡°He¡¯ll have to play I think six more matches. Then he will be placed amongst one of the ranks depending on his results. If he keeps going like this he¡¯ll probably be put in platinum or diamond, the algorithm doesn¡¯t let you place higher than those.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After that, the two of them fell into silence as they too did their best to follow what the old Tengu was doing. After that match was done, and Eva got to see a game from the start, she at least managed to get the gist of how the game was going. While it started seemingly even, the Tengu¡¯s army soon overwhelmed the opponents.


    The next few matches went quite similar, though each time, as far as Eva could tell, the time for Karasuza¡¯s dad¡¯s army to pull ahead was getting longer and longer.


    Then finally, in the last match before he would be placed according to Kurt, he actually lost the first game to some kind of well executed early attack. Which was a bit surprising as similar aggressions had been fended off easily by his defenses before. The second game, the Tengu seemed to focus more on defense than he had before, but this time no early aggression came. Instead the game progressed to the messy armies marching on each other that Eva had yet to get enough of a hang off to tell how it was going at any one moment. In the End, this time it was the elderly youkai that slowly but surely lost the game and thus the match.


    As a pop up appeared congratulating him on making it to Platinum, he turned to Kurt. ¡°This Game is indeed an incredible rush. While not as storied or wrapped in tradition as Go or Shogi, it is clearly much easier to find a worthy opponent.¡± He then stood up and bowed to the werewolf. ¡°Would you please inform me as to where I could obtain such a ¡®laptop¡¯ of mine own?¡±


    ¡°Ah of course.¡± Kurt said as he sat down next to the Tengu and began to direct him to an online reseller of electronics. ¡°Does that mean Karasuza gets to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± The Tengu said with a shake of his head. ¡°For now. Until I find us a new house closer to human civilization.¡±

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 1

    Next Saturday morning greeted the residents of the shrine with a frigid cold November morning. After their breakfast, which thankfully included some fresh, hot miso soup, a lot of arguing ensued over who gets to go out into the cold first to help whatever visitors were brave, or stubborn, enough to brave the cold morning to do their prayers.


    In the end, Komaki ended this argument by declaring they would simply stick to the normal schedule that had been set for the day. Soon after, Touya was grumbling as he had to go outside for the morning, while everyone else got to stay inside and lounge around the Kotatsu[1].


    A few minutes in, Yukiko, the only one not bothered at all by the cold, went and got her Shamisen. Once she started playing, everyone inside slowly lost track of time, enjoying the warmth of the kotatsu and the soft music played by the Yukionna.


    Just as she finished her rendition of Jongara Bushi[2], the door opened as Touya stepped back inside.


    ¡°Gah, it¡¯s even colder than we thought outside.¡± The Tanuki said as he made a beeline for the free spot at the Kotatsu. ¡°But at least there¡¯s not many visitors today.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your shift is already over?¡± Eva asked mildly panicked while checking her phone to confirm that they had indeed wasted away a few hours just relaxing to Yukiko¡¯s music.


    ¡°Yes. But at least you get some more sunshine, maybe that helps.¡± Touya said in response, trying to cheer the Kitsune up a bit before she would need to head outside and brave the cold.


    ¡°Well, enjoy the warmth then.¡± Eva grumbled as she got out from under the Kotatsu¡¯s blanket and began to make her way outside. Taking a deep breath, she tried to not only change her clothes into the miko outfit she wore for work, but also add a warm lining to it. While everything felt heavier on her, the German would need to see how good a job she did out in the cold autumn winds.


    Which did indeed bite into the exposed skin on her face and neck, but the chill did not yet penetrate through her garments. Under her geta, the gravel of the path crunched as the tiny bits of ice holding it together broke. Looking around, the grass and bushes still in the shadow were covered with tiny flecks of frost. Even the flow of the stream running across the shrine grounds seemed more sluggish this morning.


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    With her breath forming small puffy clouds before her, Eva began to walk across the grounds, keeping an eye out for anything that needed her attention. Just as Touya had said, few people were braving the cold to come pray this morning. Which gave her a chance to see if anything had been dropped off for her to deliver in the small back area of the Honden. Finding only a small wooden crate inside, Eva decided that that could easily wait until later and went back outside, ready to help any visitors.


    The first visitor that did brave the cold Eva saw was Hanako. For once the office lady was not wearing a suit, but instead a warm jacket and some very comfortable looking pants.


    ¡°Oh good morning Eva.¡± She greeted the German with a friendly wave. ¡°What a poor day to have to work outside.¡±


    ¡°It really is.¡± Eva replied with a nod. ¡°Which makes me wonder why you are here right now. After all, might get a bit warmer later.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but Yujiro invited me to a weekend trip, so I only got some time this morning before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh so where are you headed?¡± Eva inquired as she accompanied the other woman across the red wooden bridge.


    ¡°We are going to spend the weekend at Koshu Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan.[3] It¡¯s going to be wonderful to relax in the hot water together.¡±


    ¡°An Onsen huh? Makes me kind of jealous, especially with this weather.¡± Eva commented before taking a step back to let Hanako have privacy for her morning prayer.


    After the local woman rang the bell, Eva heard a faint voice, but looking around could not see anyone but the two of them. As her friend had prayed silently, Eva was left wondering where the voice had come from as Hanako walked back over to her.


    ¡°Well I am off then, Yujiro is waiting for me at the train station.¡± Hanako said with a wave as she quickly made her way outside the shrine grounds.


    The next few hours passed by with little of interest happening. Except that Eva noticed the strange faint Voice a few more times when she was nearby when people made their prayers. After letting Yukiko know she¡¯d need to take over now, the Kitsune walked back into the small back area of the Honden, tied a ribbon around the box so she could more easily pick it up, and then carried it outside. Following the mental directions as normal, Eva soon found herself close to where she thought her destination was.


    Now if only her sense of direction would give her an alternate route than jumping straight into the frigid river before her.

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 2

    Walking along the river banks for a while, Eva soon found what amounted to the end of the river. While it did not flow into the sea, it ran into a grated tunnel of some kind, over which a highway ran, though the river failed to emerge on the other side. Instead there seemed to be various buildings and roads where the German expected the river to resurface.


    Frustrated, and more than just a bit cold, Eva decided to head back for now and warm up first, before trying to find some help in figuring this one out. Picking up the box she needed to deliver into the river for some reason, she quickly made her way to a small nearby shrine. Looking around to make sure no one was around this cold Saturday, she quickly stepped through the torii and onto the fox road.


    Stepping onto the grounds of her own shrine, she was greeted by Yukiko.


    ¡°Oh Hello Eva, back again already?¡± The Yuki-onna asked. Her eyes widening in surprise as she noticed the box Eva was carrying.


    ¡°Mhm. I think I¡¯ll need some help with this one.¡° Eva replied with a deep sigh, eyes not meeting the younger woman¡¯s. ¡±But first I¡¯ll go inside and warm up a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sure, see you later then.¡± Yukiko finished while Eva walked past her.


    Inside, Eva couldn¡¯t quite tell where everyone was. Seeing as Yukiko had stopped playing her music, that was not too surprising though. Leaving the box in the genkan, she took off her shoes and went further inside. Taking a peek into the tatami room, she saw Karasuza and Komaki sitting across a small table, both lost in thought. Not wanting to disturb them, she carefully slid the door closed again without any loud noises.


    Looking into the kitchen, Eva found it empty. With Touya nowhere to be seen, and the other two busy with their game, the Kitsune decided to head back to her room for a bit. Inside she picked up a blanket and placed it over her dog bed. Eva then quickly turned into a fox, and with some help from her three tails made her way under the blanket before curling up to take a nap.


    A short while later, she was ripped from her sleep by a cold, wet snout poking her in the side. Wiggling out of her little nest with a lot of groaning, Eva soon laid eyes on the offender. Sitting next to her, a sealed letter between its forepaws was a little arctic fox. It cocked its head to the side and flicked one of its lightly rounded ears. When the Kitsune did not move fast enough for, the little fox let out a sharp bark before pushing the letter forward with its snout. Turning back into her usual human form, Eva picked up the letter. The little Fox, finally satisfied, rushes off. Breaking the seal, she began to read.


    Hello Eva,


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    I was a bit surprised by your inquiry about how normal humans can learn magic. But I did my best to get the information written down concisely for you.


    The most common ways for humans to gain magic powers completely on their own are undergoing various spiritual and physical hardships over years and years. As I doubt you are looking at things operating on that timeframe, I focused more on faster methods.


    The most risky of those would be putting them through near death experiences. This usually works best if they have at least a hint of supernatural heritage of some sort. It of course carries the risk of well death if things are messed up even the tiniest bit.


    As a Kami, you of course have the option of granting your worshipers supernatural powers, including magic. But as you are still in the process of acclimating to all being a Kami entails, you might accidentally go too far and instead of merely granting them magic, turn them into a Zenko outright. Or maybe even leave them stuck as a human with fox traits but no magic to hide them.


    Which brings me to the third and last option I know about. If you are comfortable in letting them hold onto a shintai of yours, or an object your spirit inhabited for a time. By using this as a focus, they could borrow the magical energies your presence left imbued into the object. Once they have learned to feel the magic in it, they can then learn to shape it like I showed you. Over time, the human¡¯s body will absorb part of those energies, essentially granting them their own magic.


    I hope this information can help you help your friend.


    Yours Gon


    ¡®Seems like option three it is.¡¯ Eva thought to herself as she put down the letter. ¡®Though now I wonder if any Magical Girl writer knew magic worked like this¡¯


    Putting the letter away for now, the Kitsune stretched a bit before leaving her room to see if Komaki and Karasuza were done yet. Walking downstairs and looking into the tatami room again, she saw the two of them removing stones from what looked like a full board. Komaki, noticing Eva looking inside, smiled and waved her closer.


    ¡°Ah Eva, back again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though I hit a problem when I tried to deliver a box earlier.¡± She replied as she kneeled down next to the others.


    ¡°Which would be?¡±


    ¡°It seems I need to deliver the box currently in the genkan into the middle of a river.¡± Eva elaborated with a sigh as her ears popped up, just to hang limply.


    ¡°Are you sure you need to get into the river?¡± Karasuza interjected.


    ¡°That is a good question.¡± Komaki concurs with a faint nod.


    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t know how else to get there other than to follow my feeling pointing me towards the river.¡±


    ¡°Well then let us see if we can not change that.¡± Komaki said with a warm smile. ¡°Karasuza, you still have the map your father used to find us, right? Mind bringing it down here so we can help Eva?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I will be right back.¡±


    ¡°What good is that map going to do us?¡± Eva inquired, her ears perking up just a bit.


    ¡°Well, It might help us divine the location that box needs to go.¡± Komaki explained as he put the bowls of black and white stones they had played with aside. ¡°Or at least be easier to channel some of your magic through than a modern map, or technology.¡±

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 3

    There had been some further things Komaki needed prepared for whatever he had planned to help Eva. While Karasuza was grabbing the map from her quarters, Eva was carrying the crate from the genkan into the tatamiroom. Komaki on the other hand had headed outside to the storage shed to retrieve some more things he hadn¡¯t cared to elaborate on.


    As was to be expected, it took the elderly tree spirit quite a bit longer to return than the younger women, leaving them free to speculate on who Eva was delivering too while they waited.


    ¡°I tell you, it¡¯s probably just some kappa.¡± Karasuza said with a dismissive wave.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure about that.¡± Eva responded with an annoyed flick of her ear. ¡°It might a Tsukumogami[1] that¡¯s living in the tunnel that river leads to after being swept away.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a Kitsune pulling a prank.¡±


    Before Eva could give another reply, Komaki finally stepped into the room, carrying a, seemingly heavy, wooden box. As he set it down, there was a low thud before he let out a sigh and leaned back to stretch his back.


    ¡°Would you mind taking the stuff out of the box for me?¡± He asked as he sat down. ¡°And please don¡¯t put the small grill directly on the tatami.¡±


    Opening the box, her nose was immediately filled with the faint smell of scented wood. Eva put the top on the floor before taking out the rather heavy metal grill, and carefully sitting it on top of it. Assuming the pieces of wood she found inside were meant to be burned in the grill, she stacked them in it, ready to be lit on fire. Taking some of the strips of paper out, she stuffed them between the wood carefully. But the last three items inside had Eva wonder what they¡¯d be used for. Thus she simply took out the strange knuckleduster, a rock and what looked like a roughly spatula shaped bone, and put them down before Komaki.


    ¡°Ah thank you.¡± He said as he pulled out a small book and put it down between them as well. ¡°Now to make this divination as accurate as possible, you¡¯ll need to at least learn the basics of a few new techniques.¡±


    ¡°Wait, divination as in fortune telling?¡± The Kitsune inquired, tilting her head to the side as her tails slowly flicked to the side.


    ¡°Yeah, though it kinda sucks at actual fortune telling. Even Magic can¡¯t clearly determine what has yet to happen.¡± A familiar voice chimed in from the ceiling. Dropping down onto Eva¡¯s shoulder Ratatoskr continues, ¡°That¡¯s why for every Alexander the Great cutting the Gordian Knot to cement his rule, we got a Croesus that assumed it would be his enemy that will fall, and a Laius that pushes fate to fulfill the omen he wants averted.¡±[2]


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Komaki said with a sage nod. ¡°But we already have the information we want. We are simply going to read the bone to make it more accessible to us.¡±


    ¡°So how do we go about this?¡± Eva inquired, ears perking up.


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    ¡°First you will need to imbue both this map and the bone with the destination of that crate.¡± Komaki began to elaborate as he held out the weird bone for her to take. ¡°The bone should be easier for this, so let us start with it.¡±


    The Kitsune took the bone from Komaki, but unsure how to proceed, simply gave him a blank look.


    ¡°Get that feeling where you need to bring this thing.¡± Ratatoskr chimed in, uncharacteristically helpful for once. ¡°Next you want to take that feeling, and push it into the bone.¡±


    Eva just gave a short nod to show she understood. Then, with her empty hand placed back on the crate, the Kitsune focused on that tugging feeling directing her out the door. Mentaly grabbing a hold of it, she tried her best to just ¡®push it¡¯ into the bone in her right hand. ¡®Of course it can¡¯t just work¡¯ Eva thought to herself as, instead of whatever should have happened, she now knew the bone needed to be right in her hand in this room. Letting out a sigh, she looked at the two older people in the room. ¡°Any other tips?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Ratatoskr said, while Komai simply shook his head.


    Another sigh later, Eva was trying again. And again. And again. With her rising frustration, it took nearly an hour, plus a short break to let her calm down a bit after she nearly threw the bone across the room in frustration, but in the end, she managed to make the bone ¡®want¡¯ to go to the same location as the crate.


    After this, doing the same for the map took her another half an hour. But in the end, everything was prepared.


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Now you light the fire.¡± Komaki said as he handed her the rock and strange knuckleduster-esque piece of metal.


    ¡°How?¡± was all Eva said in response.


    ¡°Well unless you have figured out how to call forth kitsunebi, you should just strike the flint stone to create a spark and light one of the paper strips.¡±


    Once again, it was easier said than done. But as this time Komaki and Karasuza both were able and willing to offer advice, Eva managed to light the scented wood on fire after a few tries.


    ¡°Good. Now place the bone in the fire and wait for it to crack and splinter.¡±


    After carefully pushing the bone into the fire, Eva shook her hand to cool it off. While she didn¡¯t burn herself, the fire was rather hot.


    ¡°Should we maybe get a pair of tongs to get it back out again?¡± Karasuza offered as she watched the bone start to blacken where it was closest to the heat already.


    ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Komaki said as he slowly got up. ¡°Forgive this old man for not thinking of everything. Especially as I have not done this in a long time.¡±


    He then left for a moment before returning with not only a set of tongs, but also a large plate to put the hot bone on. And he returned not a moment too soon, as the bone gave a resounding ¡®crack¡¯ as it began to splinter. Pulling it out of the fire carefully, Komaki placed it on the plate. Then he opened the small book he had pulled out earlier and began to study the various cracks and chips on the bone. From time to time, he¡¯d turn the map before him a round. Or place some of the bits of bone that had fallen off on it. Every time someone tried to say anything, he just hushed them and continued consulting his book and the bone.


    ¡°I got it.¡± He finally said, putting his finger on a river flowing past the edo shown on the map. ¡°It should be here, about thirty meters below ground.¡±


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s see if we can find where that is on a modern map.¡± Eva says as she pulled out her phone and opened google maps. A few minutes of trying to reference what few landmarks are featured on both maps, they soon found the place. Which turned out to be somewhere below a mall.

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 4

    ¡°Why are we heading to a mall in the outskirts of Tokyo, on a sunday?¡± Kurt inquired as they walked into the mall Komaki had determined the delivery place to be under.


    ¡°Because I need to figure out how to get a crate underneath it.¡± The Kitsune replied with a smirk. ¡°And you said you had nothing else planned for today anyway.¡±


    Kurt sighed and hung his head as he replied. ¡°Sure, sure, but when you asked if I had time to help you with ¡®Fox-Stuff¡¯ I did not expect a shopping trip.¡±


    ¡°Well we are here now, so let¡¯s make the best of it eh?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Kurt said as the duo stepped inside. ¡°So what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°For now I thought we could just check out the mall. Maybe there¡¯s a shrine or something inside, or maybe on the roof.¡± Eva said with a shrug as she held open the door for an elderly woman coming in behind them. ¡°And if we find something like that, try asking who I could be meant to deliver this to.¡±


    ¡°So just window shopping for now.¡± He summarized with a shake of his head. Letting out a deep sigh he grumbled into his beard silently. ¡°I really should start asking for more details.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could have asked for them before agreeing.¡± Eva offered with a shrug as she took the lead in exploring the, for Tokyo standards, small mall. She did bring the map that was still attuned to the crate¡¯s destination from the divination they did yesterday. And the Kitsune used it regularly to see if maybe now her sense of direction would show her a more direct route. But either Komaki had been completely wrong the day before, or, no matter where in this mall she started, the best way was indeed to head way up river and swim through the tunnels the waterway had been redirected into over the years.


    Still, at least the shops looked interesting. Only the annoyed looks Kurt was already sending her kept her from going into too many of them. Not that he was completely blameless there. When they passed a store selling traditional Kimono he pulled her to a stop as she was about to walk past it.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, more surprised than annoyed as she turned around.


    ¡°I think you would look great in this one.¡± Kurt said, pointing at a dark green houmongi painted with a seren woodland scene covered in snow with a few foxes here and there.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± She said with a shrug. Before pointing at the price tag. ¡°But I doubt either of us could afford to buy something here. And going in to try something on that¡¯s as elaborate as that without buying something feels wrong to me.¡± She then stepped closer to whisper. ¡°Besides, If seeing me in a fine Kimono is all you want, I can show you something interesting later.¡±


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    Getting a bit flushed Kurt just nodded and followed her along to see more of the 1st floor of the mall. Though they did not find anything of real interest there. Though both Germans did end up wasting a bit of time browsing through various stores on this floor.


    When lunchtime rolled around, they headed up a few floors to the food court. After both buying a simple bento at one of the smaller stalls, they stepped out on the roof terrace to sit in the warm early November sun as they ate their food.


    ¡°Is that a tiny Torii over there?¡± Kurt asked in between mouthfuls of rice as he pointed behind Eva.


    Turning around to get a look at where he was pointing, she too noticed a small wooden pillar half hidden behind the corner of the building. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Quickly wolfing down the remainder of her food, Eva slowly walked over towards that corner. As she stepped around it, the Kitsune saw that it was indeed a small shrine on the roof. It definitely looked much older and more weathered than the mall it stood on top of. The wooden sign with its name had been worn out by time and weather to a point she couldn¡¯t read it anymore. Even the decorative fish carvings were barely identifiable as such. The building itself barely came up to Eva¡¯s hips.


    Lounging on top of it was a small figure, just a tad smaller than the building it was on top of. If not for the subtle movement of its chest, and the much better condition of its clothes, she would have thought it a decorative figure. A wide, conical straw hat covered most of the figure''s head, a fishnet hanging from it like a veil obscured much of the rest of its body. Which was covered by an old, worn out coat made of straw.


    With a quick look around Eva made sure no one was around to watch, before she ducked under the rope cordoning off the old shrine.


    ¡°Greetings.¡± She began to approach the presumed spirit, bowing deeply before continuing. ¡°Are you perhaps the Kami of this shrine?¡±


    ¡°EH, what¡¯s it to you lass?¡± The figure slurred as it slowly sat up straighter, presumably facing her. ¡°And how come you know I was here?¡±


    IN what she hoped to be an answer to his second question, she quickly revealed her ears and tails for a second before replying to the first. ¡°I am looking for someone, or some place in this area. And I thought it a lucky omen to encounter the Kami of such an ancient shrine during my search.¡±


    ¡°That so ey?¡± He replied before jumping down from the roof. He did a little flip in the middle, though Eva was not sure if he¡¯d planned on it or not with how he wobbled after the landing. ¡°Well you can call me Sunadori. And this is indeed what remains of my shrine.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe you could tell me who lives underneath the ground around here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Sunadori said with a hearty laugh. ¡°For all the time men have fished along the river that still flows underground, there has been no one living beneath the earth. And I should know, I¡¯ve been here since that day.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva said with another bow. ¡°I still thank you for the time you took for me today.¡± She then slowly made her way back to where Kurt was waiting for her.


    ¡°Well according to that old Kami, there¡¯s no one actually living where we found that crate should go.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we are done with the mall?¡± Kurt asked hopefully.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d still like to check the basement. There¡¯s supposed to be an arcade there.¡± Eva said with a nostalgic smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t been to one of those in forever.¡±

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 5

    ¡°Well that was a bust.¡± Eva grumbled as the two left the mall later that afternoon. No matter where in the building the duo had loitered around, the Kitsune¡¯s sense of direction always told her to just go back to where she¡¯d stopped following the river yesterday. No sudden change to guide her through a staff only area. Nor down any sewer access.


    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Kurt concurred with a nod. ¡°So who have you asked for advice or information so far?¡±


    ¡°Komaki and that old Kami just now.¡± Eva said with a sigh. ¡°Not that either of them knew anything useful.¡±


    ¡°Have you sent Prof. Yamanaka a mail at least?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to bother him for every little thing.¡± Eva replied while crossing her arms. ¡°And I was thinking about seeing if the Kappa near campus know something about this river next.¡±


    ¡°I mean wouldn¡¯t hurt to try and see if he knows something.¡± Kurt mumbled with a shrug. ¡°And what makes you think the Kappa could know more if you doubt the Professor can help?¡±


    ¡°Because that old Kami talked about after humans first settled here.¡± the Kitsune elaborated as she led the Werewolf into a small side alley. ¡°So the Kappa who always avoid contact with humans might know things he doesn''t. And as aquatic Youkai chances are they know stuff about all the rivers civilization buried.¡±


    ¡°So are you heading there right now or?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Eva said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off wherever you want first, then get some fresh cucumbers for them. I¡¯ll need something to make them wanna talk to me for the first time after all.¡±


    ¡°Well then mind dropping me off near my flat?¡± Kurt inquired. ¡°Think I want to just relax for what little weekend I have left.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She said as they reached the small Inari shrine they had been headed for. Grabbing her friend''s arm, Eva dragged him onto the fox road before making their way towards his apartment.


    ~~~


    One trip to a nearby conbini[1] later, the Kitsune was sitting on her haunches before the shrine she¡¯d often spotted a Kappa at for a moment. But with the cucumbers put down before the shrine, she was unsure how to proceed in talking to the Kappa living around here.


    After a few moments, she decided to just go look around. Looking around the tiny shrine didn¡¯t take too long, but she did nearly miss the small pond behind the shrine that was bisected by a bamboo fence from a nearby backyard.


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    ¡®Well here I go I guess.¡¯ Eva thought before picking up the pack of cucumbers again before stepping into the small bit of pond. The cold water sent a shiver down her body. Barely managing to squeeze under the fence, the fur on her belly got soaked with the icy water. Soon the Kitsune found herself in an immaculately kept garden, taken up mostly by the icy pond she¡¯d snuck in through.


    The most notable other feature in the garden was a small bamboo grove blocking part of the pond from view from the old house the garden belonged to. With the area otherwise empty, she quickly got out of the frigid water before dropping the cucumbers for a moment and shaking as much of it out of her fur as she could manage.


    Picking her little gift back up, she decided to first check out the part of the garden filled with bamboo. But there was little to find there, and definitely no hidden Kappa dwelling. Not wanting to jump in the pond again, Eva began to stalk around it trying to spot any kind of hint if the Kappa might be hiding inside it.


    ¡°Shoo.¡± A voice from the house surprised the Kitsune. Barely managing to keep her balance thanks to her tails, Eva turns around to see who that was. Though she failed to keep her hold on the pack of cucumbers. ¡°Shoo go away.¡± The elderly looking man said again as he made a shooing motion with his wrinkled hand. He only had a thin halo of hair left surrounding his gleaming, bald head. Glasses as thick as bottles were sliding down his beak like nose. His back was bent down by age.


    As she hastily picked up the pack of vegetables, her fangs tore into both the packaging and one of the cucumbers. Which, judging by the way the old man''s nose twitched, he noticed right away.


    ¡°Wait.¡± He shouted towards Eva, holding a hand out to try and stop her. ¡°Are those fresh cucumbers?¡±


    Not sure how to take this sudden change in attitude, Eva gave a slow nod.


    ¡°Would you mind sharing them with this old man, little one?¡±


    Dropping the pack once again, Eva replied. ¡°Only if I can ask you some questions.¡±


    As he heard her speak, his eyes widened a bit before he brought up a hand to adjust his glasses and leaned towards her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the neighbour''s dog at all are you?¡± Before she could respond, he adjusted his glasses once more and turned his head left to right. ¡°Oh yes, now I can count your tails. What is a fine Zenko like you doing in my grandson¡¯s garden?¡±


    ¡°I was searching for the Kappa I saw at the small shrine behind that fence once.¡± Eva replied before picking up the vegetables again and approaching the elderly man.


    ¡°Hmph. I really need to teach those great grand kids of mine a thing or two if you could recognize them.¡± He grumbled as he slid open the back door. ¡°Now come, come I will gladly answer the questions of such a polite Fox for some cucumbers. Even if you did trespass.¡±


    Eva gave an appreciative nod before walking up to the entrance to the home. Before she stepped inside, she quickly glanced around for something to clean her paws. After a moment the old man kneeled down before her, holding a handkerchief in his right hand.


    ¡°Thank you for not just dragging mud in. May I help you?¡±


    Eva just nodded before the man began to carefully clean her paws and the fur around them.


    ¡°Now, come inside. I will see about making some tea for us.¡±

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 6

    ¡°Sit, I¡¯ll have the tea ready in a moment.¡± The elderly man said, waving towards a small coffee table in the center of the room. As he turned to step out of the small living room, the glamour disguising the old Kappa as a human faded.


    Unsure what to do, Eva simply did as he asked and sat down on her haunches. She put the pack of cucumbers down before wrapping her tails around her flank. She then used them as a cushion to rest her head on as she waited. The Kitsune pondered how to phrase the questions she was going to ask while the Kappa was away. After all, if he is truly as old as he seems, he might remember some things about that river when it hadn¡¯t been built over that that fishing Kami hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± The Kappa began as he came back from the kitchen. ¡°But they don¡¯t have a large selection, so I hope green tea is fine.¡± He put two cups of tea down on the table. ¡°I also thought you would take a more human shape to drink.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Eva said before transforming. She tried her best to take a more native looking shape while conjuring Miko robes around herself. Seeing no surprise on the elderly Youkai¡¯s face, she assumed she got it close enough. Unfurling the tails that now took up her lap, Eva moved a bit closer to the table to pick up her cup. Taking a sip of the tea, she looked up to her host sitting on a small cushion.


    With a nervous flick of her furry ear, she sat the cup down again. ¡°So I¡¯ve been looking for a Kappa in hopes to learn something about this river.¡± Eva said, unfolding the old map of Edo. Dragging her finger along the river in question, she stopped roughly where they had divined her destination to be. ¡°Specifically around here.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± The old Kappa leaned forward while adjusting his glasses. ¡°Yes, that''s Sunadori¡¯s river isn¡¯t it.¡± He said as he took out one of the cucumbers.


    ¡°Do you remember anyone living there?¡± Eva inquired before taking another sip of tea, seeing the fact he referred to it by the old Kami¡¯s name as a good sign.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if they didn¡¯t move by now though.¡± He said, a smile spreading across his lips as his gaze slowly drifted towards the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s been a long, looong time since I met the friends I played with there.¡±


    ¡°It would probably still help to know their names.¡± Eva replied between sips of tea.


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    ¡°Well then let¡¯s see. Who I can remember for you Miss Zenko.¡± The old Kappa said as he leaned back, pressing a hand against his back. ¡°Obviously there¡¯s Sunadori. Grumpy old fishing Kami, not sure if humans have kept his shrine around though. If that¡¯s gone he¡¯s probably moved somewhere else, probably some family shrine of the descendants of the fishermen catching the fish of the river.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s Yuki, he was kinda annoying. But if that Tanuki¡¯s pranks were quite entertaining whenever they weren¡¯t aimed at you.¡± He continued, a bit of moisture gathering around his eyes. ¡°Ayami the Nekomata was the only girl that could stand to be around us. She was quite the looker in our teens.¡± He continued as a faint blush reached his cheeks. ¡°And she always got scolded for doing something as unlady-like as playing in the river.


    ¡°Oh, and of course there was Tatsugawa. He was kinda weird though.¡± The old Kappa said as he brought a hand up to his temple as if to rub away a past headache. ¡°I don¡¯t think we ever learned where he lived. He was always just there at the river banks when we came to play. Never came the days we ended up playing in the Forests nearby. And never came to visit Ayami at home, or went with her to the inn for some food. No matter how she asked or pleaded with him.¡± Finishing counting off his friends, he quickly gobbled up the rest of the cucumber he was holding before taking the next. ¡°Thank you so much for these. My wife never increased my cucumber money, even though prices keep rising decade after decade.[1]¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re welcome.¡± Eva said with a unsure smile. ¡°Any settlements you can remember that might still be around, hidden underneath Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The Kappa informed her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t one to explore caves back in the day. But Ayami always stuck her nose where she shouldn¡¯t so she might know something more about that.¡±


    ¡°I will if I find her.¡± The Kitsune said after finishing her tea. ¡°Do you know the Mumeikitsunemori shrine?¡±


    ¡°Ah I think so, yes. That where your Inari resides?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± Eva confirmed with a nod. ¡°If you do end up remembering anything else helpful, I would appreciate it if you send us a message.¡±


    ¡°Of course, dear.¡± He said before quickly eating the last cucumber. ¡°For such a friendly fox I¡¯ll gladly do that much.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will be on my way then.¡± Eva said as she got up. When she turned to leave through the garden, the elderly Youkai called out to her.


    ¡°Wait. Wouldn¡¯t you rather just use the front door?¡±


    Blinking once, then twice, Eva turned around as she quickly turned her ears into human ones and hid her tails. ¡°Ah yes, that would be great. The pond was rather cold.¡±


    As he led her to the mentioned exit, she transformed her clothes into something more modern to quickly blend in with people on the streets after leaving.

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 7

    ¡®I am so glad I remembered to write those names down.¡¯ Eva mused as she left the last class before her long lunch break on Monday. With a few hours until her next class, she¡¯d decided to see if she can get to any of the old Kappa¡¯s friends, hoping they¡¯d be able to help her on. It was definitely a stretch, but it was still the only useful lead she had short of jumping into the river.


    Starting with the first name she¡¯d written down, she wrote them each on a cheap postcard. With nothing else to go on, Eva decided to just go in alphabetical order. Leaving the card addressed to Ayami on the small table before her, the Kitsune quickly stored the other two cards in her back, then picked up the one still on the table.


    Just as expected, she was guided to the small shrine near that old Kappa¡¯s home she used to get to university every morning. As she arrived, Eva looked up and down the small alley the shrine was in. Seeing no one around, she stepped through the Torii gate and onto the Fox Road. A few minutes later, she had reached the Torii that would take her to the closest shrine. With no idea what to expect, Eva took the shape of a mundane looking white fox before stepping through.


    Though even with no idea what shrine she was visiting, the Kitsune had been confident it would have solid ground around its Torii. Not that it was standing on a lone wooden beam with barely enough room between it and the roof for the now seemingly smaller than normal wooden gate. Thus with a panicked vulpine scream, she dropped through the gap between this beam and the next where a small shrine sat on a wooden platform.


    While her view dipped down involuntarily, Eva, still screaming her foxy lungs out, was glad she had turned into a fox. Below her were two rows of large open barrels, their wood aged but well maintained. Foamy water was filling most of them, to varying degrees, though none were filled to the brim.


    At her human size, making sure to drop into the water, not the rim of a barrel or the hard floor beneath them would have been considerably more difficult. As a fox though, she simply curled up and pushed against the beam behind her with her tails. With the tip of her third tail only managing to brush against the beam, she had reacted just in time, steering her fall from straight into the floor towards the closest barrel.


    With a loud splash she hit the water as the bitter taste of soap flooded her mouth and nose. Before she could start to paddle her way up to the surface, her back hit the bottom of the barrel hard, a handful of bubbles escaping from her muzzle. While there was a lot of pain, as she could still move around without making it feel worse, the Kitsune realized she¡¯d avoided breaking any bones.


    As her head breached the surface, she started taking in large gulps of air before starting to cough and sneeze from the soap water that flowed into her mouth and nose. Looking up Eva realized there was no way she could reach the rim to pull herself out as a fox. Flicking her ears to get rid of the water inside, she quickly took up a more human shape, still keeping the ears and tails to hopefully explain away her presence if anyone was around.


    Stretching her arms up as far as she could, Eva managed to place her right forearm on top of the barrel''s rim. Dragging herself up a bit, she soon managed to place her left arm on the barrel as well. After that, climbing out of the barrel was not too big a challenge. Conjuring some clothes around her as she left the water, she managed to land on the floor with a stumble. Luckily she had the forethought to not form the white and red miko outfit she usually used when walking around with her ears and tails on display. If the white Kimono had soaked up the water clinging to her skin like the black one she had formed, Eva could have just as well stayed naked.


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    As she sat down and leaned against the barrel she had just vacated, arms spread to ease her breathing, the clack clack clack of wooden soles on a hard floor drew her attention to her left.


    ¡°What brings you here you stupid fox?¡± an elderly lady hissed as her slitted eyes glared daggers at the wet Kitsune. Her face was filled with wrinkles , the one from worry and anger especially pronounced by her current expression. She was wearing an old fashioned set of work clothes that would fit more with a craftsman during the Meiji restoration.


    ¡°Looking. For. Ayami.¡± Eva managed between pants.


    ¡°What do you want with her?¡± She asked as she reached Eva¡¯s position, barely standing taller than the sitting German. She still managed a surprisingly intimidating stare despite this though.


    ¡°Want. To. Ask. Her.¡± Eva began before another set of coughs interrupted her. ¡°Ugh. I wanted to ask about Sunadori¡¯s river.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s in it for me for answering?¡± The old lady said, before looking at the wet stains on the barrel Eva crawled out of. ¡°And how do you plan to reimburse me for the effort to clean that again to get rid of all your fur? Just be glad you didn¡¯t ruin a batch of Sake.¡±


    ¡®Sake?¡¯ Eva paused to ponder. ¡°Well how about I spend some days helping you out around here once the brewing begins?¡± She offered as she slowly dropped her arms down again, her breathing back to normal.


    The elderly woman looks Eva over curiously for a bit before she speaks again. ¡°Can you hide those ears and tails all day long? I do have mundane employees.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s no problem.¡± Eva said as her foxy attributes recede.


    ¡°Very well. We start early next week. Be here before sunrise on Monday, and don¡¯t fall down again.¡±


    ¡°So will you answer my questions now?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    Eva quickly pulled out the now slightly damp map and, after very carefully unfolding it, pointed to where the delivery was supposed to go. ¡°Can you tell me what exactly is around here, underground?¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes. That¡¯s where Tatsugawa usually lazes around in an underground cave. Why you ask?¡±


    ¡°I need to deliver something there.¡± Eva said nervously.


    ¡°Just throw it in the river.¡± Ayami said with a shrug. ¡°Or if you want to hand it over to him in person, throw a letter in first.¡±


    ¡°That will really work?¡±


    ¡°I mean it¡¯d be like throwing something on your back.¡± Ayami elaborated with a shrug. ¡°That oblivious old dragon is the river after all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now go do your duty.¡± The elderly lady said as she pulled Eva onto her feet. ¡°And remember, Monday, before Sunrise.¡±


    Eva simply nodded as she turned back into a slightly wet fox and raced up the wall, onto the small platform of the shrine, before jumping through the Torii.

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 8

    As Eva walked across the shrine grounds that afternoon on her way home from classes, she was surprised by the ringing of her phone.


    ¡°Hello Hanako.¡± She answered the phone after checking the caller id with a glance. ¡°How was your weekend vacation?¡±


    ¡°Hi Eva. It was great, but not nearly long enough.¡± The somewhat tired sounding voice of Hanako came from the speaker. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to talk with you about anyways. Have you heard back yet from whomever you were going to ask about how humans can learn magic?¡±


    ¡°I actually did.¡± She replied nodding unconsciously, even though no one was around to notice the gesture. ¡°Got a letter from him on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Great. It¡¯s still a few hours until I get off work, but maybe we could get started later tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy today, got some things I want to finally be done with, but how about tomorrow evening?¡±


    ¡°Hm, really nothing you could do so we can do this tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry. I had an unexpectedly busy weekend.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡± Eva finished their conversation before hanging up. Opening the front door, she quickly dropped off her bag and pulled out a paper note she had written after her return to Tokyo. Lifting up the crate she still needed to deliver, Eva quickly hid herself and the things she was carrying by magic. The Kitsune then stepped back outside and made her way to the nearest Torii.


    ~~~


    A few minutes later, Eva was once more standing on the banks of the very same river she¡¯d visited this saturday. The Kitsune took a quick look around as she sat down the crate, making sure she was alone. Pulling out the note she had written for the dragon, she flicked it into the water. Unsure how long she was going to have to wait, Eva took a seat on the crate.


    Just as she was about to pull out her phone, she noticed a head rising out of the water. It was soon followed by what appeared to be a man in his late twenties, still rising straight up out of the water. Once the water was only up to his knees, he looked around, his long azure hair swaying from side to side.


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    Noticing this, Eva gave him a quick wave as she stood up and picked the crate up once more. Taking the last few steps to the edge of the water, she waited for him to approach. As the presumed Dragon waded closer, he waved back before shouting with a booming voice rough like gravel. ¡°Are you the one that threw this note in the river to get my attention?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Eva replied with a nod. She braced the crate against herself with one arm so she could knock on it with her other. ¡°Got a delivery here for you. And let me tell you figuring out how to get it to you was a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Ah, finaly.¡± A smile spread across his face as he stopped before the Kitsune, his feet never leaving the water while he walked in the now barely ankle deep water. ¡°No longer shall construction noise keep me from my slumber. But do tell, why would it be difficult to deliver these Dragon sized Earplugs? I am most certain I instructed the craftsmen making these for me to attach a paper with delivery instructions to the outside of the crate.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Eva began, after letting out an annoyed sigh. ¡°Those instructions were not attached anymore by the time it reached me for the actual delivery.¡±


    ¡°That is most unfortunate. But luckily you actually did find out.¡± He sat down on a conveniently nearby rock Eva was sure had not been sticking out of the river a moment ago. ¡°Do tell me how you managed that. Not many people are still around that know how to get a hold of me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured that one out myself. Not to mention there aren¡¯t many people that know you¡¯re here, period.¡± Eva said with a shake of her head. ¡°Even that Fishing Kami claiming this river as his domain had no idea you were living in it. Or are it. I didn¡¯t quite follow what Ayami meant.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sweet young Ayami, so she is still around.¡± He said, his gaze growing unfocused as he continued. ¡°Is she still as sweet and cute as she was last time I saw her?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know when that would be.¡± Eva mumbled as she started to rub the base of her neck. ¡°But she seemed to have grown into a rather stern lady when I dropped in on her at the brewery she owns now.¡±


    ¡°Ha, so she did actually go through with that.¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to uphold my end of that old bet as well.¡± He turned his head to Eva, eyes focusing on the here and now once again. ¡°Would you mind doing a pick up here in a few days? I¡¯ll need to prepare a suitable vessel before I send her the lake of purest spring water I promised her all those years ago.¡±


    Eva, eyes growing wide, began to respond unsurely, voice wavering. ¡°But, you will add some enchantment to that so it doesn¡¯t weigh that much right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. No need to worry. Now go skedaddle and have fun, young fox. Just don¡¯t play any mean pranks alright?¡±


    Before Eva could muster a response, the man and rock had turned back into water flowing down the river while the crate vanished beneath the gentle waves with a splash. Blinking twice, Eva simply shrugged as she turned back into a fox and began to rush towards the nearest shrine.

 The 5th Delivery: Chapter 9

    ¡°Thank you for making time for me tonight.¡± Hanako greeted Eva the next evening as she led her into the tatami room. She had, with the help of Komaki, prepared it for their lesson a few hours ago when she had returned from classes. A small table was sitting in the center of it, a pair of incense sticks held upright by a small piece of wood on top of it. On either side was a flat cushion for the women to sit on.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much trouble really.¡± Eva replied as she waved towards one of the cushions. ¡°Though be warned, I have little experience teaching. You did bring the Mask from the festival right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thanks for sending me that reminder.¡± She replied as she kneeled down in seiza before carefully removing a wooden box from her bag. ¡°But why did you want me to bring it tonight?¡± Hanako continued as she opened the box to reveal the wooden fox mask, sitting on a purple velvety lining.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to that in a bit.¡±  Eva explained with a smile as she snapped her fingers a few times, until she finally managed to create a small ember to light the incense. ¡°But first let me explain some basics about magic.¡±


    The other woman simply gives a silent nod before waiting for Eva to elaborate.


    ¡°In the most general terms, there are two approaches to how to perform magic. Both equally valid, but approaching it from very different mindsets.¡± The Kitsune began to explain. ¡°The first, and what I¡¯ll be teaching you, is to form a clear image of what you want to achieve, then force that into existence with the help of your magic.


    ¡°The other is to perform actions aimed to somehow shape magic into a desired effect, but please don¡¯t ask me how that actually works.¡±


    ¡°So how do we start Sensei?¡±


    ¡°Meditation.¡± Eva said, barely managing to suppress a sigh. ¡°As most humans have little inherent magical ability, you¡¯ll first need to learn to draw on a different source.¡±


    ¡°Is that where the mask comes in?¡± Hanako asks, her gaze fixed on the wooden artifact as her right hand brushes one of the wooden ears.


    ¡°Mhm. When a Kami possesses an object like during the festival, they leave traces of themselves behind. Their followers can, with the right practice, draw on those to work magic themselves.¡±


    ¡°So how do I do that?¡± came the obvious question, as confusion mixed with eagerness on Hanako¡¯s face, the corner of her mouth dropping slightly.


    ¡°First you put it on.¡± Eva instructed, but taking in the wide eyes and hesitation from her student, she continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mumei is fine with that, or I would not be teaching you. But if you are uncomfortable with it, holding it in your hands will work too. Though it might make it more difficult.¡±


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    Hanako''s face returned to a less shocked expression at that, but her gaze lingered on the mask in her hands for a few moments, before she brought it up and tied the Mask to the side of her head.


    Giving her a reassuring smile Eva continued. ¡°Good, now close your eyes and breathe in deeply. Let the smell of the incense fill your nose and seep into your brain.¡±


    As she instructed Hanako, she herself did so as well.


    ¡°Now breathe in again. Then slowly out, letting your attention go from your sense of touch, just focus on the smell.¡±


    As the student mirrored the teacher''s breathing, Eva began to let her consciousness drift. Not enough that her body became unconscious, but enough that she could feel her own presence in the mask across the room. The view from its eyes a hazy dream overlaying on the black and red of her closed eyes in the well lit room.


    ¡°In.¡±


    ¡°Out¡±


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out¡±


    ¡°Now Breathe in again, then as you breath out, feel the air leaving you rejoin the air around us.¡±


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out, and feel your breath in the room again.¡±


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out¡±


    ¡°On the next repetition, now feel the air you breathed into the room flow around, and follow it to the mask.¡±


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out¡±


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out¡± Eva could slowly feel a tendril of faint energy touching the piece of herself residing in the mask.


    ¡°In¡±


    ¡°Out¡± And the touch did grow firmer, until a gasp came from before her, and it vanished abruptly.


    ¡°What did you see that made you lose concentration?¡± she inquired of her student.


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know. But it felt friendly, eager, but also nervous.¡± Hanako responded. ¡°Also warm and alive.¡±


    ¡°Then I think you found what you were looking for.¡± Eva explained as she felt a grin form on her lips. ¡°Now come, let us try again, and this time don¡¯t let it shock you as much.¡±


    It took a lot more tries, but by the time Touya came in to let them know Hanako would need to hurry to catch the last train, Hanako could form and hold a connection with the energy in the mask. Though she still lost it the moment she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Well I won''t keep you any longer then.¡± Eva said with a smile as Touya stepped back out of the room again. Handing Hanako a pack of the incense they had used during the lesson she continued. ¡°I think for now you can practice on your own. This incense helps with this whole feeling magic thing. Try to keep the connection even when opening your eyes. But nothing further, it''s too easy to mess up magic really badly if you do not know what you do.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Hanako said as she hurriedly stuffed the bundle of incense into the box with the mask she just pulled off. ¡°But I really need to catch that train.¡± She finished before she raced out the door, barely giving a wave goodbye to Touya in passing.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 1

    Next friday evening found Eva and Kurt sitting at the counter of Ratatoskr¡¯s favorite bar. With both of them making full use of Yo, the bars owner¡¯s promise to the late Mumei. Sometimes pretending to be beholden to old promises had its perks. Like free drinks.


    ¡°I still think it sucks how that cat roped you into working at her place for free.¡± Kurt grumbled as he put his empty cup back on the counter before refilling it from a flask of sake. ¡°Just for trying to do your job, helping one of her friends at that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Eva said with a pronounced shake of her head while accepting a fresh flask of her own from the bartender. ¡°You know how many breweries didn¡¯t even give me the chance to interview for an internship for a while or something? Stupid Xenophobia.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you tried with bigger companies as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She replied with a sigh. ¡°But those usually don¡¯t offer internships for only a week or two.¡± Taking a sip from her cup Eva paused herself for a moment, ¡°And if I miss more than a week, maybe two of classes, I¡¯ll get in waaay too much trouble back home for leaving a bad impression. So really the only bad thing about this is the time she expects me to get started at.¡±


    ¡°You know Fuchs,¡± Kurt spoke up after draining another cup of sake in one go, ¡°You could just have pretended to be a local with your fancy fox magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Eva concured, head dropping down before she brought her drink up to her lips. ¡°Yes I could have.¡± She finished after taking a sip.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the name of that brewery?¡± The werewolf asked after giving his friend a few moments to mope.


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    This time, Eva¡¯s head did hit the counter, albeit softly. ¡°Ugh more things I should have asked.¡±


    ¡°I did learn something interesting recently that might help take your mind off this for a moment.¡± Kurt said, before emptying another cup.


    ¡°Hm?¡± She asked not very eloquently as she turned her head to look at him.


    Instead of a verbal response, he simply let out a surprising, realistic bark. Not that it was surprising a werewolf could indeed bark, but Eva couldn¡¯t tell any reason for him to do so in the middle of a conversation.


    ¡°Why¡¯s nothing happening?¡± Kurt asked rather puzzled after a few seconds.


    ¡°What did you expect to happen?¡± Eva replied with a shrug.


    ¡°I, well, you see, lastweekireadkitsuneturnbackintoafoxwhentheyhearadogbark¡±


    ¡°Could you repeat that? Maybe without nervously mumbling through it all?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he slowly tried again. ¡°Last week I read that Kitsune turn back into a fox when they hear a dog¡¯s bark.¡±


    ¡°Did you just try to prank me?¡± Eva asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I thought it might get you angry and stop moping.¡± Kurt admitted with a shrug. ¡°Besides, seeing you fall from your seat as a vixen would have been funny.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint¡± Eva said as she suddenly turned into a fox, still sitting on her chair. Two of her tails waved behind her, while the third barely managed to reach around to the counter. There it wrapped around her flask and tipped it to refill her cup. ¡°But sitting on a chair isn¡¯t hard. At least not if you spend any time at all trying. So anything interesting you plan to do while I¡¯ll be busy?¡± She finished before carefully leaning over the counter to lap up the sake from her cup.


    ¡°Nothing interesting. Just going to need to start making plans for the next full moon.¡± Kurt admitted with a frown. ¡°Staying in Tokyo for it is definitely not a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to take you somewhere again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that will work this time, you¡¯d need to be back at that brewery before I can go back the next morning.¡± Kurt replied with a shake of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Eva shrugged before returning her attention to the bartender to get a refill.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 2

    Way too early on Monday morning, Eva was strolling along the fox road. Remembering what had happened last time she came to visit the old cat youkai Ayami, she stepped through the final torii carefully, ready to dig her claws into the beam it was mounted on. Though in a pleasant surprise, a simple wooden board had been placed on this and the next beam supporting the roof, presumably to keep foxes from falling into the open barrels used for brewing sake underneath.


    Walking across it and climbing down a wall to reach the floor safely, Eva began to move up to the door her sixth sense was telling her Ayami was behind. But as she came closer, her vulpine ears picked up the sound of voices behind it.


    ¡°No, you will be polite to our temporary assistant this coming week.¡± Eva could make out the voice of the elderly youkai she had met before.


    ¡°But why? She¡¯s just some stupid foreign youkai.¡± A notably younger female sounding voice complained.


    ¡°Because foreign or not, she arrived as only servants of Inari do, and thus she is entitled to at the very least that much respect from you young lady.¡±


    ¡°But why does it have to be me?¡±


    ¡°Because it will do you some good to learn how to show respect to others if you ever want to inherit this brewery. Now go fetch one of the spare uniforms, I am sure she will be arriving any moment.¡±


    Instead of a verbal response all Eva heard was loud huff and the sound of footsteps moving away.


    After hearing a sigh from the elderly lady still there, Eva pushed open the door and stepped outside. The area taken up by the brewery was surprisingly small to her. Besides the Building she just had been in, which was actually L-shaped, with the area she had been in being the smaller half of it, only one more building stood in the area encircled by the metal fence running around the property. Said second building looked more like Ayami¡¯s residence than part of the Brewery, but then again, it might also serve as storage to an extent.


    The elderly lady left standing by her younger relative turned around, the tobacco in her long pipe lighting up gently for a moment. As she exhaled a small puff of smoke, Ayami addressed the Kitsune before her.


    ¡°So how much of that did you hear?¡±


    Under the old youkai¡¯s stern gaze, illuminated again by the embers in her pipe, Eva felt it wise to just tell her the truth. ¡°Not much, I think just the tail end where she complained and you sent her to fetch uniforms.¡± She admitted, her tails sedately swinging from side to side, left hind paw scratching the dirt underneath her.


    ¡°Well then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Ayami says as another small cloud of smoke escapes her mouth. ¡°Not like it would have taken you long to notice her, distaste, for foreigners anyway. Kuroko is a sweet child, but her lazy layabout of a father never taught her respect and always blamed others for his misfortune.¡± In a much quieter voice that Eva nearly didn''t catch she mumbled. ¡°Never saw what my sweet Akiko saw in him.¡±


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    ¡°I see.¡± Eva said with a flick of her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to let it get to me too much.¡±


    ¡°No no, do tell her firmly when she is out of line.¡± Ayami replied with a shake of her head. ¡°She won¡¯t be your superior, and as an older person, and servant of Inari, even as a foreigner she should address you politely or not at all. Which is something she really needs to learn.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Eva responds, giving the best approximation of a shrug she can while being a fox.


    ¡°Now if you could please take a more mundane shape before she returns, or any of the early workers arrive.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Eva said in acknowledgement before she transformed into her usual human shape, hair tied back into a bun, and a simple hoodie and jeans covering her body. Leaning against the building¡¯s wall, the Kitsune enjoyed the silence as the two watched the sun crest over the nearby hill to the east.


    As the first rays of sunshine hit the roofs of the two buildings making up the small brewery, the first workers walked in through the main gate before them. All of them quickly greeted Ayami with a polite bow before heading into the second building. When they left, all wore the same white coveralls and hair nets and gathered a bit away from the two youkai where they chatted with each other.


    By the time Kuroko returned, the sun had already reached the gravel covered ground between the buildings. She definitely looked a lot younger than everyone else here. If Eva had to guess she¡¯d assume she¡¯d just barely finished 9 or 10th grade in school. She was wearing the same white coverall and hairnet as the rest of the staff, and was carrying another set for Eva, which she handed over wordlessly, avoiding even looking at the German.


    ¡°Is that how you greet your grandmother¡¯s guests?¡± Ayami hissed quietly, but with a sharp bite to her words that made the younger girl flinch.


    ¡°Here you go Miss Mayer.¡± Kuroko forced out between her lips, still avoiding looking Eva into the eyes even as she turned towards her fully.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The elderly cat youkai grumbled as she motioned for Eva to follow her. ¡°Come I will show you where to change, then I will introduce you to everyone.¡±


    Eva gave a quick nod as a reply before she followed her inside. Taking off her shoes in the genkan, Ayami looked at her surprised but said nothing. She instead led the way on through a short corridor into a nice living room with enough seating for a sizable portion of the workers outside, with two doors and a staircase leading on.


    ¡°This is the ladies'' change room.¡± Ayami said as she led Eva to the door inlaid with the Kanji for woman in a lighter wood than the door itself. Inside there were a few benches and a dozen or so lockers.


    ¡°Please put on the actual uniform.¡± She said as she opened a locker and pulled out her own. ¡°I do not trust your Kitsune magic to keep fur and hair out of my product.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Eva said, slightly ashamed as she had been studying the uniform closely with the intent to just recreate it magicly. Instead she went to one of the open lockers and quickly changed into the provided clothes and pulled the hair net over her head.


    ¡°Now I hope you are ready to meet your colleagues.¡± Ayami said as she took in the changed Kitsune and pushed open the door of the changing room.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 3

    When they stepped out of the house, they were greeted by roughly a dozen people waiting in various small groups and chatting with each other. As they noticed Ayami stepping outside dressed for the day''s work, they slowly, one by one, turned to face her and the unfamiliar foreigner with her. Waiting for everyone¡¯s attention, Eva noticed people shooting each other glances, though she was a bit surprised that there was no hushed whispering or anything.


    ¡°Good morning everyone.¡± Ayami greeted her assembled workers only moments after, which was replied to with more or less vigor from all the employees. ¡°For the next week, this young woman will be working alongside all of you. Even if she is not experienced, please take her under your wings so that she can be a good help.¡±


    After getting a light tap on her back, Eva took a step forward and gave a shallow bow before introducing herself. ¡°Nice to meet all of you. I am Eva Mayer, and looking forward to working with you and learning from you all.¡± Finishing her introduction, Eva bowed once more before standing around unsurely as everyone gave her some polite smiles, in a few cases looking a tad strained.


    A few moments of awkwardness later, Ayami waved to dismiss the lot of them as she urged, ¡°Now get to work everyone.¡± While most of the workers quickly dispersed, one young man, maybe a few years Eva¡¯s senior, approached the confused and overwhelmed kitsune.


    ¡°Greetings, I am Tanaka Asahi.¡± He introduced himself with a friendly smile. ¡°And as it seems no one else feels responsible for showing you around, that honor falls to me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Eva said, offering him her hand for a shake unsurely.


    ¡°Now come, let¡¯s make ourselves useful.¡± He said cheerfully before waving for her to follow him into the larger building. This time, entering from the other end of the L-shaped structure, Eva found herself in a small room seemingly stuffed with industrial pots, some of which were already being filled with rice and water. Asahi though directed her to the side of this room, where a wooden staircase, refitted with rubber mats to stop slipping, led up to a storage area under the roof.


    ¡°Here¡¯s where we store the rice.¡± He explained as they dodged people, mostly men, carrying the big sacks of rice out of storage and down to the ground floor. ¡°We don¡¯t polish our rice ourselves, so we buy some at the right grade from other breweries that operate all year and store it up here.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do that yourself?¡± The Kitsune inquired as she squated down to help her guide with one of the large sacks. Once they lift it, she realized they easily weigh dozens of kilos as she struggled to hold her side up enough to not scrape along the floor.


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    ¡°We only make Sake for a few months a year.¡± He began to explain slowly, clearly straining to carry the rice as well. ¡°So buying modern machines would be too expensive. And doing it the old fashioned way would take too much time. I am also told they make too much noise for how thin all the walls are.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva replied between hard breaths as they reached the stairs and slowly descended towards the pot filled floor. Once down there she was more or less dragged over to an as of yet unused pot, where Asahi told her to drop the sack on a little slightly raised wooden board that creaked slightly under the weight.


    ¡°That¡¯s to keep the rice from getting wet too early once the first batches are done cooking.¡± He explained before pointing over to a rag of large bags,or maybe towels, Eva couldn¡¯t quite make out what the fabric had been sewn into. ¡°Go get two of those while I fill up the pot.¡±


    With a quick nod her only reply, the young German quickly walked over and grabbed two of the pieces of fabric. As she crossed the room, people seemed to either not actually mind her presence, or more likely, they were too lost in their work to notice her passing them in the first place.


    As she made her way back, she noticed Asahi filling the pot with water from a long hose he must have dragged across the room.


    ¡°Ah good. Do you know how to wash rice?¡± he asked as she returned. When he got a nod in reply, he pointed to a pair of wooden buckets and a second hose. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take these off of you, and you can start washing the rice bucket by bucket.¡±


    Nodding once more Eva took the knife he offered her as well. Using it to cut open the bag, Eva then quickly filled the larger bucket half way with rice using the smaller one, before filling it the rest of the way with water and washing the rice.


    ¡°Uh, Mr. Tanaka?¡± Eva tried to get the man¡¯s attention as he finished draping one of the fabric pieces very loosely over the pot. Once he looked over she indicated the bucket of mildly cloudy water before her. ¡°Where do I pour this?¡±


    ¡°Just on the floor, there are drains all over, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He replied with a smile. ¡°And once you are done, throw the rice on here.¡± Indicating the fabric over the pot he then turns away after seemingly noticing a co-worker. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, just do this until about five buckets of rice are washed and in the pot.¡± With that, he walked off towards another worker, probably female from what Eva could make out.


    Doing as she was told, Eva was just finishing with bucket number five, when Asahi returned.


    ¡°Hey, Just asked Ms Satou, and she wouldn¡¯t mind if you joined us for our usual lunch later. If you would like to join us that is.¡± He said, a smile creeping on his face as he noted how much rice was weighing down the fabric on the pot.


    ¡°Ah, sure. I did bring a bento, but that should keep for dinner as well.¡± Eva mumbled, a bit unsure how to reply to such an unexpectedly forward invitation.


    ¡°Great. Now I¡¯ll carefully lower this in, while you prepare the next batch of rice.¡±


    ¡°Why is that piece of fabric in there?¡± Eva wonders aloud as she fills the bucket up once again.


    ¡°So we can remove and carry around the rice more easily once it is cooked.¡± Waving towards a set of large double doors opposite the entrance he continues. ¡°Most of the rice from this morning we¡¯ll carry over there, where it¡¯ll be seeded with koji. Now come on, we need to fill this top completely and get the rice cooking.¡±

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 4

    When they had finally finished filling up that pot and turning on the heating element beneath it, Eva had hoped for a small break. But instead Asahi motioned for her to follow him as he picked up the remaining rice, and moved over to a nearby, still empty pot.


    As they repeated the work from before with a new pot, the sack of rice finally ran out, so about two thirds of the way to filling the second pot, the two walked upstairs to grab a fresh bag.


    As they finished up this second pot, one of the more practiced groups of workers was already busy emptying the cooked rice of their pot out into a wooden barrel, lifting it up and out with the help of similar fabric sheets to those Eva and Asahi had been layering into their pot underneath the rice.


    ¡°So where do we get a barrel like that?¡± Eva inquired as she followed her temporary colleague as he moved to check on the rice in the first pot they filled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± He assuaged her as he turned back to her and the two picked up the sack of polished rice to carry to a third pot. ¡°That is only for the very first rice of the year. The Boss usually has some of the ladies chew through a few handfuls of it. Then spit it back in the barrel and put it all up before the little shrine we have here as an offering to the Kami.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva mumbled, suppressing a sigh at the mental image of how that half eaten rice must stink after a few days. ¡°So what will we do with the rice once it¡¯s done?¡±


    Nodding his chin towards the small set of doors opposite the entrance, he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll carry it over there. Then spread it out on tables before the Koji guys do their thing.¡±


    ¡°Koji? That¡¯s the fungus used to break the rice down into sugar right?¡± Eva asked between heavy breaths before they dropped down the sack near an empty pot.


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ve probably practiced all morning already to spread the spores just right.¡± Asahi replied as he straightened up and stretched his back. ¡°You know, our first batch is only a few minutes away from being done anyways.¡± He continued while rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°I doubt they¡¯d mind if we quietly watched for a few moments. If you want to, that is.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The Kitsune said, giving an excited nod. ¡®Skipping out on more rice shoveling, and seeing something so integral to making Sake, how could anyone say no.¡¯


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    ¡°This way then.¡± Asahi said as he turned to lead the way across the floor. Behind the doors was a set of clear plastic sheets. ¡®Probably to keep the air from moving too much.¡¯ Eva mused as they quickly slid through, before Asahi stepped over and exchanged some rapid Japanese with another worker. Due to the distance, and the extra polite phrasing used, she couldn¡¯t quite understand what exactly was said. It gave her a moment to take in the room though. Long tables took up most of the space in the room. To the right was a second door out of the room, covered in the same fashion as the one they entered through. The walls, while still made from the same wood as the rest of the building, had many rubber looking patches. Probably where drafty holes had to be filled.


    When the two men were done talking, Asahi bowed then returned to Eva¡¯s side and spoke quietly. ¡°If we stay over in the corner here, we should be good to watch their next few practice attempts.¡±


    Giving just a nod in response, Eva watched enraptured as the other employees took their place besides one of the long metal tables filling this room. One on the right, one on the left of each table. Then, seemingly perfectly synchronized, they all took two steps forward, then gave the empty glass jars in their hands identical looking shakes.


    They continued this pattern until they reached the other end of the tables, where they turned around, now having their open jars held over a different table than they did before. Then they took only a single step before shaking, then returned to taking two.


    ¡°Satou, you were too early, again.¡± The man Asahi had talked to began to berate one of the workers. His voice carried disappointment more than anger. ¡°And Yamamori, your steps were too big. Again.¡±


    Eva and her minder watched them go through this another two times, each time followed by new, increasingly miniscule seeming, complaints. But when the first people carried cooked rice in, the duo hastily made their way back to the first pot they filled. They arrived with just a few seconds to spare before Asahi declared the rice done.


    Asahi sorted through the tips of the various sheets they¡¯d layered between the rice. Once he had figured out which one was the top one, he indicated to Eva which tips she needed to take a hold of, before the two of them lifted the cooked rice up and out. Taking a few steps apart so the rice wouldn¡¯t touch the floor, the two began to slowly walk back over to the Koji room, where they just dumped it onto a half filled table. As they stepped back again, one of the people that had been practicing just moments before stepped up and spread the pile of rice out evenly on the table, matching the height of the rice already there.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s hurry, and maybe we can finish emptying both pots before lunch.¡±

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 5

    A few hours later, Eva was about to head upstairs again to grab another sack of rice when Asahi called after her. ¡°No need. We¡¯ll be done for the morning after this last pot is boiled just right.¡± He informed her, the Kitsune barely catching the shake of his head as she turned to look at him.


    ¡°And then?¡± She asks, curious to learn if they would continue in this fashion in the afternoon.


    ¡°For today? Not much.¡± He informed her with a shrug. ¡°After lunch we¡¯ll have our usual fifteen minutes of fitness and stretches. Then we¡¯ll plan out how to proceed the next few days. And maybe lend a hand storing the Koji infused ripe so the fungus can grow nicely.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do until then?¡±


    ¡°Not much. For now we wait on this pot here. Then we¡¯ll head to Lunch with Ms. Satou. I hope you like ramen.¡±


    Not too long later, Eva found herself trailing behind Asahi and Ms Satou. While the latter had been polite enough when the Kitsune had been introduced to her, she¡¯d been rather reserved until the foreigner fell a few steps behind. Which was when she started to chat rather animatedly with Satou. Mostly small talk as far as Eva could make out.


    The small town they were passing through was quite interesting to observe though, so Eva didn¡¯t mind too much. There was an interesting mix of more recent buildings that, outside of the Kanji on the signs near and on them, could have been from her hometown in Germany just as well, to some older buildings mixed in between that looked much closer to how she had envisioned houses here in Japan.


    One of the later had been a small shrine, where Eva nearly tripped trying not to step onto another Kitsune¡¯s tail as it suddenly appeared out of the torii and rushed through their group and then up ahead. She was about to yell after it, until she noticed her coworkers not noticing. Deciding it would be too weird to shout out at, in their eyes, nothing, she took a deep breath to calm herself down instead.


    Not much after that, they reached a small ramen restaurant, where a slight hitch in Asahi''s idea was revealed. Though once they stepped inside, the waiter at the entrance revealed another issue with Asahi¡¯s idea for their lunch break.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°Ah, welcome Mr. Tanaka, Ms. Satou. We¡¯re a tad busy, but I kept your usual table free.¡± He greeted the regular customers.


    ¡°Oh, actually, could we get a different one today?¡± Asahi inquired hesitantly nodding towards Eva as she stepped in behind the duo. ¡°I brought a new acquaintance today.¡±


    ¡°Oh ah. You see..¡± the waiter began to mumble. [1]


    ¡°Not even some seats at the counter?¡±


    ¡°Well there¡¯s two, but not together, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that much.¡± Eva said, in an attempt to cut through this rather awkward conversation. ¡°You two can just take your usual table. I¡¯d take one of the seats at the counter.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes that would be great.¡± The waiter said with a nod, before picking up a menu and leading Eva towards the counter. The other two meanwhile quickly made their own way towards the only empty table in the small restaurant.


    After bringing the two menus as well, the waiter returned to Eva, waiting patiently for her to order.


    ¡°What would be your recommendation?¡±


    ¡°Our Chef is most proud of his family recipe for his miso broth, and usually suggests people take it with an extra egg and extra slices of pork.¡±


    Nodding to herself Eva hands back the menu. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take that then please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    As the waiter leaves, the Kitsune could have sworn she could hear Hanako mumble despite having no reason to be here instead of in Tokyo. Still turning around, Eva was left a bit confused until she spotted a young woman chatting with a friend nearby. Writing it off as just mishearing, she takes a sip from the water she¡¯d been served for free and waits for her food to arrive.


    When it did, she ate quickly and silently. While it was decent enough, Eva had had better in Tokyo before when going out with Kurt. Soon after she had finished, Asahi came over and let her know they¡¯d need to head back soon. Following him to the cash register, they all quickly paid their bills before heading back to the brewery.


    As he had predicted, there was a mandatory fitness exercise of stretches and some light running, before they were dismissed for the day, with only a handful of people staying behind for one reason or another.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 6

    The next frigid morning found Eva returning to the brewery at the crack of dawn, a bit of nightly mist still not quite dissipated. She¡¯d had to sit through a few stern words from Touya for not eating the Bento he prepared. But after explaining the whole situation, he just sighed, and in the morning she did find a new one for her in the fridge as he had said.


    The day started not quite like the last one, as people went straight to work after getting changed. Eva once again teamed up with Asahi to tend to cooking some rice . As today he had less to explain about how to do things, they soon began to chatter the time away with small talk. Mostly centering about Eva. Where she came from, why she¡¯s in Japan right now, what she finds so interesting about brewing alcohol to study it in college and many similar questions filled their morning.


    ¡°So will you join us again for lunch today?¡± Asahi asked as they began winding down again as the morning made way for noon.


    ¡°Well you see.¡± Eva began, before trailing off for a moment. ¡°I caused some disappointment when not eating the Bento yesterday so..¡±


    ¡°Ah I see.¡± Asahi said with a few quick nods. ¡°Well there¡¯s some nice spots to enjoy your lunch in the park not far from here.¡± He continued before launching into a rapid fire set of directions Eva barely kept up with.


    Once they had a break, Eva grabbed her lunch after changing, and instead of trying to recall the directions Asahi gave her, she relied on her magical sense of direction to find the park he had mentioned.


    The cherry trees around her had already lost some of their leaves, but with the clouds hugging the mountains around her it all added together for a very nice image of autumn. Sitting down on one of the benches scattered around, the Kitsune was quite glad there was no cold wind today, and made a mental note to try and figure out kitsunebi before winter arrived.


    Opening the Bento, Eva could understand why Touya had been more than a bit annoyed she hadn¡¯t even opened the one from yesterday. She was greeted by an Onigiri shaped like a fox head with little nori whiskers, eyes and nose resting before a body of a large Korroke[1] and with four paws cut from carrots, with all of it resting on fine strips of nori.


    Picking up the Onigiri, Eva took a big bite out of it. Expecting it filled with pickled plums, or maybe some fried fish like the young Tanuki usually prepared them, she was quite surprised by the sweet taste of anko[2]. Putting what was probably meant as a small dessert back down for the moment, she instead picked up the golden brown Korroke and took a bite.


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    While she enjoyed the taste of potato and meat, she failed to notice Ayami sitting down next to her.


    ¡°Enjoying your lunch I see.¡± She said, causing Eva to choke on her mouth full of food for a moment in surprise. ¡°I came looking for you to talk about this afternoon. I assume correctly that your nose is still as sharp as a foxes, even when you appear human?¡±


    ¡°Ye- Yes.¡± Eva said between coughs to clear her throat again. ¡°Why, are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Because I will then need you to do something a bit more complex than simple menial labor this afternoon.¡± Ayami explained before taking a small bento out of her bag. ¡°If you are up for it that is. Usually sake breweries wait for multiple days to make sure the Koji has fully taken hold in the rice.¡± She began to explain between bites of cold fried tuna. ¡°But with my keen nose and long experience, I found a spot earlier than that where it has taken just enough hold to in the end create the aromas I desire, without also leading to some I personally dislike.¡±


    ¡°And I come in where exactly?¡± the Kitsune inquired as she moves on to nibbling on her carrots.


    ¡°Well, if you can tell that state as well, we¡¯ll be able to check the rice twice as fast.¡± She explained. ¡°Once you are done with your break, come find me in the back room where the koji infused rice is stored.¡±


    She then got up, still holding her bento in one hand, and slowly left the Kitsune to enjoy her lunch without waiting for a reply.


    Once she finished her lunch and had changed into work clothes again, Eva headed where she had been told to go. The elderly cat youkai was already there waiting for her, with a few of the wooden boxes filled with rice set aside with a set of chalks in white and red prepared nearby.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you can do what I hoped for.¡± Ayami says as she indicates the three trays of rice. ¡°Try and tell the difference between these three with just your nose.¡±


    Giving just a silent nod in response before swallowing nervously, Eva stepped closer and closed her eyes. Giving each box a few good sniffs, she did pick up on a slight difference, but as she began to reply, she struggled to fit it into words. Though in the end she settled on, ¡°The one on the right is kinda lacking this earthy nut like smell. The one on the left has it but only a little bit, and the middle one has it the strongest.¡±


    With a smile on her face, Ayami gave a quick nod before turning the boxes around, revealing a red mark on the middle box, and a white one on the one on the left.


    ¡°Good, now come help me go through these. The ones with the very faint smell we mark in white, the strong ones in red, and those with none are left unmarked.¡± She began to explain. ¡°Then in a few hours, everyone who knows the recipe can just grab the right ratio of wwhite and red marked ones to create the final taste we want to create here.¡±


    Nodding as she was handed a piece of red and white chalk each, Eva stepped over to the left side of the room, before she and Ayami began to go through all the rice in here over the next hour or so.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 7

    After they had finished going through all the boxes of rice currently growing koji on and in it, they left the small room to rejoin the rest of the workers well after the end of their daily exercise routine. All in all about half the boxes had been marked with red chalk, while a bit more than two thirds of the remaining ones had white chalk marks on them.


    Looking around a bit, Eva soon found Asahi and made her way over to him.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He began before interrupting himself with a barely concealed yawn, eyes seemingly ready to fall shut any moment. ¡°Hey Eva. Done with whatever secret work The Boss had you help her with?¡± He then followed up with a second yawn.


    ¡°Yes, so what¡¯s left to do now this afternoon?¡± She asked, a little curious why he seemed so exhausted suddenly, but unsure how to broach that subject right now.


    ¡°Well. We- yawn - We¡¯ll start with the actual brewing today now that you two finished.¡± He said while sluggishly leading her into the room she first arrived here, though now water hoses had been rolled out and ladders set against about half the barrels in here. They were also connected by what looked like small temporary walkways near the top of each one.


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva said as she followed him to a small group of workers gathered around one of the barrels, which did include Asahi¡¯s friend Eva met the day before during their break.


    After some quick back and forth where Eva barely managed to grasp the gist of them debating what she should be allowed to do now, or if she¡¯d be allowed to help at all, they handed her a long wooden pole and told her to go up and stir it all while they did the important work.


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    Which it turned out consisted mostly of carrying trays of rice in and dumping them into the barrel. Looking closely, Eva noticed that they brought in about 2 white marked ones for every one with a red chalk mark. It was also quite obvious from her vantage point that Asahi seemed to be more exhausted than early this day, or even yesterday after they were done. Ms Satou had to keep him from slipping and dropping the rice more than once, despite them only needing to reach one of the barrels closest to where the rice was kept.


    One of the workers also carefully ascended the ladder with a beaker full of a cloudy brown liquid, which was probably a mix of various yeast cultures that would end up producing the actual alcohol and reduce the amount of sugars in the mixture of rice and water Eva was currently stirring.


    About half an hour or so later, everything had been added, but Eva was told to keep stirring it for a while longer by one of the workers she was unfamiliar with. While it was quite boring and menial, it also gave the Kitsune a chance to observe the rest of the room. Most people seemed to actually be taking turns doing the stirring, usually switching off every other time someone brought something new to be added to the barrel in question.


    The only other curious thing she noted during that time was Ayami¡¯s granddaughter shooting her outright hostile glares a few times, before quickly turning to look at Asahi. She even seemed to smile the few times he nearly fell from one of his stumbles.


    All in all, it was a rather boring second half to the work day for Eva. Though that did allow her to mentaly go through some ideas of how to approach the next few lessons for Hanako. And make plans to spend some more of her own time trying to improve with all the magical abilities she only kind of understood at the moment.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 8

    When she finally arrived back at her shrine, Eva was quite tired. As she was about to let out a yawn, she was more than a little surprised to hear a surprised gasp right beside her.


    Turning around she saw Hanako stand there, eyes wide with surprise.


    ¡°Did-did, did you just step out of thin air?¡± The young office lady asked the Kitsune after a second.


    Looking around to make sure they were alone, Eva sighed before responding. ¡°Kinda?¡± She said, wiggling her hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°If you want a better explanation, I¡¯d ask you to come inside with me.¡±


    Hanako just nodded as she turned to follow Eva. Waving to Touya as they passed by him, she opened the door and held it open for Hanako. Inside they both quickly took off their shoes, before Eva led them to the small table at the center of the room and sat down.


    ¡°So.¡± She began, twirling her thumbs as she rested her hands on the table. ¡°You remember that time we had a Kitsune take you to work after that whole Tengu fiasco?¡±


    Hanako quickly nodded, sitting opposite of Eva, leaning back in the chair.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve been using that same, let¡¯s call it a short cut, since I first managed to navigate it. Though I never had anyone manage to see me appear or disappear before.¡±


    ¡°Might that be because I am learning magic?¡± Hanako offers unsurely, trying to hide an exhaustion Eva couldn¡¯t quite explain.


    ¡°Maybe. Though neither Touya nor Komaki can see when I appear. At least as far as I know.¡±


    ¡°Hmh.¡± The Japanese woman hums as she leans forward, clearly thinking hard. ¡°Maybe because it is you teaching me? Or because Mumei¡¯s power is what we use to teach me?¡±


    ¡°That could just be. I¡¯ll have to ask around for that.¡± Eva replies with a quick nod. ¡°While we are on the topic, how¡¯s your practice going?¡±


    ¡°Quite well actually.¡± Hanako offers, still sounding rather exhausted for some reason. ¡°I even managed to keep that connection going while my eyes were open twice now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great progress.¡± The Kitsune offered, trying her best to sound sincere despite having no idea if it actually was good progress. ¡°Say, you aren¡¯t practicing till you are way too exhausted are you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hanako asked, a bit confused until her thoughts caught up with her. With a quick shake of her head she explained. ¡°Ah no. Just Co-Workers dumping extra work on my desk while they still can.¡±


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    ¡°Why¡¯d they do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I got a promotion yesterday. Well, it will take next month, but going forward I¡¯ll be taking over for our department head once he retires next month.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!.¡± Eva exclaims as she smiles at her exhausted friend. ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t explain why they¡¯d be so mean as to dump extra work on you.¡±


    ¡°Well they probably expected me to quit, or at least reduce my work hours now that I am engaged. Not snatch a Promotion they thought was surely theirs.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well don¡¯t let them get you down, I am sure you got this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s kind of why I am here tonight. After she helped me stay focused during the interview for the promotion yesterday, I wanted to ask Mumei for the strength to get through this hazing.¡±


    ¡°Hm, Yesterday?¡± Eva asks, vaguely remembering hearing Hanako¡¯s voice the day before.


    ¡°Yeah, I had the mask with me as a kind of good luck charm. But when I heard our CEO had decided that she¡¯d want to sit in on this interview, I panicked a little and prayed for Mumei¡¯s help while I tried to get even a bite of my bento down.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am glad she could have been of help to you there. Though does that mean you¡¯ll have less time for practicing with me?¡±


    ¡°No, I should still be able to keep some evenings free each week.¡± She then let her head hang to the side in her exhaustion as she continued. ¡°Maybe even more because I¡¯ll be the one dictating office parties and bar hopping soon.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I just figured out what to have you try to do first, and how to go about it. Next wednesday sound good for you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, see you then.¡± Hanako said as she slowly got up. ¡°Though if you don¡¯t mind, Yujiro is waiting for me with dinner. He said he¡¯d keep some choice cuts himself today for some nice home made sashimi tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sure, don¡¯t let me keep you.¡± Eva replied as she escorted her friend back to the door.


    ~~~


    The next morning, Eva was a little lost at the brewery, as Asahi seemed to be missing today. Seeing that most people were going around cooking rice again, she decided to try her best to do so on her own for now.


    But even just getting the first full sack of rice downstairs proved to be more than she could manage on her own. While some of the other workers seemed to snicker at her missfortune behind their hands, Kuroko though looked like the cat that got the bird. Or maybe more like a child that raided the cookie jar.


    After maybe fifteen minutes, Ms. Satou came up to Eva, and wordlessly grabbed the other end of the sack she¡¯d been struggling with. Together they fell in an uneasy rhythm filled with silence, but they at least got work done.


    ¡°So.¡± Eva began once they had finished filling their second pot with rice and water. ¡°Where¡¯s Asahi today?¡±


    ¡°Noone knows. Though he¡¯s probably just sick and hasn¡¯t called in yet. It¡¯s not unheard of to catch a nasty cold this time of year.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva said before they fell into silence again.


    The rest of the morning went the same as yesterday, except for the lack of friendly conversation. When she stepped out of the changing room to take her lunch out into the nearby park again, Ayami¡¯s granddaughter pushed her back inside and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°We need to talk, I think.¡±

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 9

    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve even been properly introduced.¡± Eva replies to the younger woman standing before her.


    Completely ignoring Eva¡¯s question, Kuroko continued, her eyes narrowing as her voice rose a bit. ¡°I am curious. What did you do to my Grandmother and our employees?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eva simply exclaimed, the allegations coming completely out of left field for her.


    ¡°You are just some gaijin, and still, you get taught grandmother¡¯s secrets, and even after I got rid of the one guy giving you the time of day, people were still willing to help you out.¡±[1] She shouted accusingly. As she worked herself into an angry frenzy, translucent purple flames began to lick out from the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Maybe they just aren¡¯t as xenophobic as you?¡± Eva replied in a low voice, though still backing off a bit as the room was tinted by the flames around Kuroko¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So what? Grandmother still chose you over me. WHY?¡± As her rage deepened, motes of fire drifting from the flames around her eyes began to drift around Kuroko.


    ¡°You¡¯d need to ask her that.¡± Eva suggested just before her back hit the lockers behind her.


    Which quickly turned out to have been the wrong thing to say as Kuroko just roars as the motes of fire surrounding her coalesce into a pair of translucent cat ears and a forked cat tail. ¡°I¡¯ll just get rid of you. Then she¡¯ll have to teach me.¡± The young japanese shouts as she sends a gout of flame towards Eva with a flick of her wrist. Taking Eva by surprise, the Kitsune barely dodged, still getting the elbow of her jacket singed.


    A punch sent a ball of fire the size of her torso hurling towards Eva. Which she barely evaded by turning into a fox, only getting the tips of her tails singed. As Kuroko flicked another gout of flame towards Eva, the Kitsune realized she¡¯d need to think of something soon. Gritting her teeth as she ended up getting singed by this bout of flame, she focused as she began to bob and weave, leaving a trail of illusory fog in her wake. As the illusion spread to cover the whole room, she hoped it would allow her to slip past the young pyromaniac and escape.


    Waiting for a few moments filled with random flashes of purple flame illuminating the fog, she ended up realizing that Kuroko was not moving from the door. Not wanting to risk being hit by the enraged girl''s attacks, she did not dare close in on her. Waiting out this stalemate for now, she soon found Kuroko¡¯s presence, for a lack of a better term, fade as the bouts of flame grew smaller and smaller, until the soft purple illumination to the fog faded entirely. Giving it another few seconds to be safe, when no more fiery attacks came, Eva decided to make a break for it. Running past her adversary, Eva barreled into the door with all the force the body of a small magical vulpine can manage.


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    ¡°Gotcha¡± was all she heard as she tumbled into the next room, followed by a gout of purple flames. Just as this ball of burning hot pain was about to catch up with her, Eva was yanked to the side by an unseen force, moving her out of the way at the last second.


    As she was turned around, she noticed that her attacker was hoisted up and immobilized in a similar fashion.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The stern voice of Ayami quietly drifted towards them from the side as the elderly cat Youkai stepped in between them.


    Seeing as there was nothing to gain from keeping it up further Eva let her illusion dissolve. As the charred walls and lockers came into view in the changing room, Ayami¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°Who of you tried to burn down my house?¡±


    ¡°Kuroko,¡± Eva replied. ¡°Blamed me for people being friendly and began slinging fire around.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her.¡± the younger woman shouted immediately. ¡°She¡¯s a Kitsune, of course she threw around all the fire.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Ayami said as her eyes slowly drifted from Eva towards her granddaughter. ¡°So if you speak the truth, why would she have done that now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a stupid Gaijin, who knows why they do anything.¡±


    ¡°Even the most twisted of demons and gods usually have a reason for what they do. In all my years, the only ones doing things for no discernible reason are kids and teenagers who don¡¯t know what they are doing.¡± Ayami coldly stated as she glared at her granddaughter. The hint of wetness in her eyes made Eva wonder if she wasn¡¯t actually more disappointed than angry. ¡°We¡¯ll speak about this, and what you did to poor Asahi later.¡± She then turned to face Eva as Kuroko was dragged through the air as if carried by an enormous unseen cat.


    ¡°I am deeply sorry for what my family has tried to do to you. Of course I will not force you to work in the same brewery as her anymore, your debt is repaid.¡± The elderly Youkai set Eva down on the floor, before kneeling down before her and bowing down till her head touched the floor.[2]


    ¡°I beg you to forgive my family for this transgression. If it pleases you, I will have our first half dozen barrels of sake sent to your shrine as penance.¡±


    Eva, a bit overwhelmed by this exaggerated gesture, especially from the person that just saved her life, took a few moments to gather her wits. After a few deep breaths she replied. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that far, you just saved my life.¡±


    ¡°No. I insist, my flesh and blood tried to cause that harm in the first place, in my own home. While you were one of my workers no less.¡± Ayami continued, not raising her head even the tiniest bit.


    Eva, with a short sigh, responded calmly. ¡°In that case, just one barrel would be more than enough. I was curious to taste the sake I helped make anyways.¡±


    Somehow managing to nod before she stood up, Ayami looked Eva in the eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Can I still work here the rest of the week though?¡± Eva asked, scratching herself behind the ear nervously with her hindleg. ¡°I did reschedule a lot of things to make the time, and I would love to learn even more of how you all brew sake here.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it. But do please at least take this afternoon off. You will need some time to recover from this. Come a bit early tomorrow, and we can try to work out a new agreement.¡±


    Replying just with a nod, Eva quickly went into the room to pick up her lightly singed bag, before vanishing from sight as she began to make her way home.

 The 6th Delivery: Chapter 10

    Later that day, Eva was sitting in her room, windows covered by curtains. Only a single candle sitting on a small wooden plate before the kneeling Kitsune spread light across the room. Not that she saw it with her eyes closed in concentration.


    She had been trying to get the flame to do something but flicker peacefully all evening. Losing herself deeper and deeper in concentration, Eva got her first reaction out of the little flame when a loud knock on the door surprised her. As her concentration was violently disrupted, it flared to live, nearly blinding her despite having her eyes mostly closed.


    Kurt had not been so lucky, and as her head snapped around to look at the new arrival, she saw him rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, I did not expect anyone.¡± Eva said quickly as she made sure nothing had been burned by her sudden surge of pyrokinetics. ¡°And of course it is now that something happens.¡±


    ¡°Next time put a sign up.¡± Kurt mumbled, annoyance dripping from his tone as his vision seemed to finally clear. ¡°Some kinda ¡®Don¡¯t disturb¡¯ at the very least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that.¡± Eva said as she picked up the plate and pulled the curtains open before blowing out the flame, now back to its normal size. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive this quickly though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®quickly¡¯?¡± Her friend inquired, looking a bit puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s been a couple hours since you asked me to come over to talk about something. Which I am still curious about.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s a couple of things really.¡± Eva replied as pulled a small folding chair from her wall closet. After setting it up for Kurt, she just turned into a fox and took a seat on her dog bed. Turning around once to find the currently most comfy bit of it.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Ye. First off, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about controlling fire with magic? Been experimenting with that, to limited success.¡± She flicked one of her tails towards the extinguished candle.


    ¡°Not really. You¡¯d probably have had a better chance asking my Sister. She¡¯s been invited to join some Walpurgisnacht celebrations[1], so she might have picked up some things from those friends of hers.


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    ¡°Wait like witches dancing on the Blocksberg? They actually do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Tickets are kinda pricey for that particular one though.¡± Kurt said with a nod.


    ¡°Okay, putting away more myths that are actually true.¡± Eva continued after a deep sigh. ¡°Please keep away from any suspicious cats, especially with forked tails.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Kurt simply hummed, curiosity clearly peaked.


    ¡°Yeah. Apparently Nekomata can drain your energy. And if I assume right from the way the old lady said it, full blooded ones might actually be able to just take a man¡¯s life to fuel their magic.¡±


    ¡°I see. Not sure they mention that in many myths, if any.¡± he said stroking his beard in thought.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that. But the guy that was kinda helpful to me has been basically in a coma since yesterday because of a jealous teenaged, crazy quarter-cat girl. And he¡¯ll likely not wake up till the weekend.¡±


    ¡°But he will, right?¡± Kurt said as he raised her head a bit, before turning the hand to scratch her behind the ear instead of pushing up her muzzle.


    ¡°He definitely should, just no one knows for sure when.¡± Eva explained, ears twitching at the ministrations while her tails moved around sluggishly.


    They stayed like that for a few moments, before Eva spoke up again. ¡°Though one last thing, do you have any plans for the weekend yet?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too concrete, why?¡±


    ¡°Well, because of a lot of shit that went down today, the old cat lady offered me to spend an extended weekend at a friend¡¯s Onsen in Noboribetsu.[2] Wanna come? She said bringing a friend wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to keep the full moon in mind, but otherwise, sure.¡± Kurt said with a short nod.


    ¡°That was this weekend?¡± Eva exclaimed, ears stiffening at her surprise.


    ¡°Yeah. the night from Friday to Saturday.¡± Kurt confirmed with another nod.


    ¡°Well it is a resort run by and for Youkai, so I am sure we will be able to figure something out.¡± Eva said, giving the best approximation of a shrug her foxy form could manage.


    ¡°Wait, like in Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi?¡± Kurt replied, eyes wide in surprise.


    ¡°Like in what?¡± Eva mumbled, obviously unfamiliar.


    ¡°Ah, Spirited Away.¡± He quickly replied, remembering to use the name Eva had a better chance to be familiar with this time.[3]


    ¡°Oh. Not sure, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see when we get there I guess.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 1

    As she stepped out of the small train station, the layer of snow covering everything but the roads around them crunched and creaked under Eva¡¯s boots, the morning air barely warm enough that her breath wasn¡¯t visible. Catching sight of a nearby clock, she let out an annoyed sigh, before turning to Kurt, who just stepped out behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a few minutes until they come to pick us up.¡±


    Looking at the time he smirked before replying, ¡°you didn¡¯t expect on time to actually mean on time hm?¡±


    She gave a quick nod. ¡°Yeah, I mean what train isn¡¯t at least 5 minutes late?¡±


    ¡°Most japanese ones.¡± He shot back before leaning back against the station¡¯s wall. ¡°So I guess we just wait?¡±


    ¡°Unless you have a better idea.¡± Eva replied with a shrug, shoving her gloved hands into her coat¡¯s pockets.


    With Kurt shaking his head, they began their wait. And while it really was just a couple of minutes, the winter chill around them made it feel much longer to Eva.


    Soon enough, an old looking taxi pulled up before them. Eva wasn¡¯t too sure how old it was exactly, but it reminded her more of images from history class than any kind of car she¡¯d seen on TV. As it came to a complete stop, the passenger side doors both opened, and a young looking woman clad in a rather odd looking attire stepped out. It almost looked like she¡¯d tugged up the lower part of a kimono for some reason, while she was wearing a long heavy looking skirt under it, with a wide scarf covering her neck and shoulders.


    ¡°Greetings, Lady Mayer and Lord Wagner, if you would please get comfortable inside, I shall take care of your luggage.¡± The woman said as she already moved to grab the two suitcases the duo had with them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eva said with a short appreciative nod as she slid inside, moving all the way behind the driver seat to make room for Kurt. Who followed suit quickly and closed the door after himself to keep out as much of the cold winter air as possible. A pair of thuds followed by the sound of the trunk being slammed closed informed the pair their stuff had been loaded as well and only a few seconds later the assistant got back into the vehicle, and after she closed the door next to her, the car began to move once more.


    They soon left the town behind them and were driving through a serene looking winter landscape with all the hills and mountains around them covered in white.


    About 15 minutes later they had finished a long drawn out turn that led them into a small valley that ran roughly parallel to the town they had left. As they passed the mountains and reached the valley proper, they saw a large body of water near its center, steam rising from its surface in thick white clouds.


    The road followed a small stream that seemed to originate from it. Once they were at the closest the road seemed to get to the steaming lake, the car pulled into a small parking lot that seemed connected to a pair of trails going up the mountain.


    ¡°We will need to walk the rest of the way, if you would kindly follow me.¡± The lady in the front informed the two Germans before they all got out of the car. She quickly gathered their luggage, before leading them away. Instead of leading them up one of the trails as Eva had expected, she led them across the road and towards a small wooden pier that had been hidden from view by some rocks and snow laden bushes.


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    When they reached the end of it, Eva was about to ask what next, when a procession of ghostly, pale blue balls of fire marched their way from the center of the lake, a ghostly bridge appearing in their wake while the far shore of the lake seemed to grow further and further away. Once the bridge connected to the pier, an ancient looking castle shimmered into existence in the middle of the enlarged lake, roofed walkways leading into the lake itself on each side.


    Not giving them much time to take in the spectacle, the assistant was already moving before the castle had fully materialized, forcing Eva and Kurt to hastily catch up. Behind the front gates was a large garden with a few wooden walkways connecting a handful of buildings, and the roofed walkways attached to, and leading through, the walls with the main building towards the back of the whole structure.


    Standing what seemed to be half a dozen stories tall, it excuded an air of ages past as well as luxury. It reminded Eva less of Osaka castle, and more the few images of traditional Onsen resorts she had seen, just scaled up to fill half the space inside the walls of this massive structure. On both sides were large balconies, though screens made from thin slats of bamboo hanging from above concealed what might be on them.


    ¡°To the left is our mixed bathing area, while the path to the right will split into male and female areas.¡± Their guide informed them, as they walked over the central wooden path. ¡°You will be provided footwear by us, please wear them instead of any shoes you might have brought while inside the premises unless you want to leave on a day trip.¡±


    Both Eva and Kurt just gave a quick nod as they reached the end of the path.


    The entrance was flanked by a pair of teenage girls with horns parting their hair. With the red skinned one clad in a blue Kimono the blue skinned one wore a red one, which with their gray Obi matching the walls flanking the building made for a very striking image. They gave a deep bow as the assistant led the two guests inside.


    In the small lobby-like area there were a few raised platforms covered in tatami and each holding a low table and a desk manned by a bored looking young man. Seeing the assistant step up, he quickly took a pair of keys from the wall behind him and handed them over, before giving the new guests a bow and sitting back down.


    The lady that had collected them from the train station then led them to a small side room, where they all exchanged their shoes for the provided slippers, locking the boots away in a small locker matching the tag attached to the keys.


    They then ascended two flights of stairs, and walked down a small corridor, before the woman unlocked the door to their room and led them inside.


    The main room mainly consisted of a large room filled with tatami mat flooring and a table at the center holding a small bowl of fruit and two piles of cloth. The wall to their right was mostly taken up by what Eva by now recognised as a closet built into it. On the left an open sliding door revealed a small bathroom, while in front of them was a pair of massive sliding doors made of wood and thick paper.


    After putting away the two suitcases in the closet on the right, the assistant slid open the large doors to reveal a massive balcony, half again the size of the room. Most of which was taken up by a wooden bathtub and a pair of comfortable looking outdoor chairs. From the wall, a pair of wooden chutes went up to the ceiling above the tub.


    ¡°If you wished to take a bath in private.¡± The lady began to explain, ¡°Just pull on these ropes, then water will flow down into the bath.¡± As she carefully pulled down both ropes from where they¡¯d been secured, Eva noticed the small wooden plates, with the Kanji for ¡®Cold¡¯, and ¡®hot water¡¯ burned into them. ¡°When you want to consume your midday meal, let the desk know. You will have the choice of eating it with other guests in the reception hall, or in your room. Dinner will be served shortly after the eight hour in your room. If you wish to make other arrangements, inform us at least two hours ahead of time.¡±


    With one final bow she left the two of them alone, closing the door behind her. While Eva just stood there taking in their accommodation, Kurt quickly moved over to the two piles of clothes, and with a mischievous glint in his eyes picked up the Yukata on the pile topped by a slip of parchment with Eva¡¯s name.


    ¡°Look, they have fox sized Yukata.¡± He said with a wide grin as he held up the small garment for her to see.


    Eva was about to groan in response, before she noticed the amount of clothing left in her pile still was as big as Kurt''s. Stepping closer, she realized with relief they had also provided her a human sized one.

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 2

    ¡°So wanna get changed and relax for a while in the baths before lunch?¡± Kurt suggested as he walked around the table to grab his own pile of provided clothes, noticing with an amused smile that he too had been provided both animal and human sized Yukata.


    ¡°Sure, sounds like a great idea. That train ride here took forever, despite being on time.¡± Eva replied before she began to undress.


    Kurt, blushing at the unexpected action, rapidly turned away and began to mumble. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± She just hummed curiously. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll not see all this in the bath anyways.¡± The Kitsune replied, her smirk unseen by Kurt.


    ¡°I-I guess.¡± He replied reluctantly as he turned around, just to find his, presumably semi naked, friend hidden behind some bands of mist. Seeing the absurd mix of disappointment and relief on his face, Eva let out a roar of laughter.


    ¡°You really thought I¡¯d just stand around in the nude did you?¡± She inquired a few seconds later after calming down.


    ¡°I mean yeah. If you are this good at illusions and stuff, why put on the actual Yukata in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Many reasons.¡± Eva replied as she began to count along on her fingers. ¡°To get the full Onsen experience, because it looks nice, oh and because of this note saying illusory clothing is a no-go.¡± Eva said, handing over the small laminated note that had been under her clothes. Taking it from his friend, he read out loud:


    ¡°¡®In respect of our patrons with the ability to see through illusions, as well as the ability of others to see through more mundane clothing, we require all patrons to wear the provided clothing everywhere on premise except the baths and their rooms.¡¯ Huh, that makes sense I guess.¡± He then did a double take, reread the note then continued. ¡°Wait, there are people out there that can see us naked whenever they want?¡±


    ¡°Apparently.¡± Eva said with a hesitant nod as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of the Yukata. ¡°Though I would personally rank creeps that I didn¡¯t know about slightly lower than crazy half cat girls flinging fire at you. Assuming they keep what they see to themselves at least.¡±


    ¡°I guess. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He said before he slipped into the small bathroom to get changed with some privacy.


    Once she had finished tying her obi, which had taken two attempts to get it to fit right with her decision to show her trio of fox tails, Eva knocked on the door to get Kurt¡¯s attention. ¡°You need any help in there?¡±


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    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind. I got my hands full with this Obi.¡± Came the prompt reply. Sliding the door open, she quickly lent him a hand to get him fully dressed.


    Thus they were free to make their way down towards the baths.


    The two Germans were pleasantly surprised when they stepped into the resort''s courtyard, and the air was not as freezingly cold as outside the train station. While it was still a bit chilly, the Yukata they wore were more than warm enough despite being just a single layer of fabric.


    Once they reached the small changing areas for the mixed bath they found the expected rows of small baskets to store their belongings in and a door leading on to an area to wash their bodies before getting into the bath proper. After they got undressed, they found that there were no showers or anything resembling one. Instead they reluctantly took the provided wooden buckets to rinse themselves off before moving further.


    Past one final sliding door, they found a small corridor filled with a wooden staircase leading further down. The last few stairs proved to be a tad slippery, and Eva would nearly have slipped and fallen down on the very last one, if Kurt had not managed to grab a, rather painful, hold of her tails just in time.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Eva grumbled once she was standing firmly again, rubbing the base of the tail Kurt had held her up by.


    ¡°No problem, I hope it doesn¡¯t hurt too much?¡± He replied with a small shake of his head.


    Shaking her head she replied. ¡°Nothing a good long soak in warm water won¡¯t fix.¡± She said as she stepped out beyond the wooden wall to their left and stopped in her surprise.


    They had reached a massive expanse of small bridges and what looked at first glance like piers crisscrossing to separate the lake before them into sizable square sections. With roofs held up by wooden pillars covering it all to give some protection from the weather. Wooden hooks were mounted on some of the pillars, which eva assumed might be used to hang towels from, or maybe to mount some temporary walls during very windy weather.


    As they approached the closest section of the lake that had been squared of, they quickly noticed it wasn¡¯t actually connected to the lake proper. And after quickly looking out to the edge of this structure, they realized all of them were actually separated pools raised just enough above the lake that water could drain into it. Leading down from the roof was a pair of pipes made of bamboo. Placing one of her fuzzy ears next to one, Eva heard the telltale gurgling of water.


    A short while after they had settled into the pleasantly warm water, a young woman looking like a mirror image of the red Oni lady they had seen again on their way out walked past with a tray full of sake flasks and cups. Without saying a word, she placed a cup next to each of them on the wooden walkway behind them, then set a flask into the water to float before them.


    With her walking off before they could ask any questions, Kurt and Eva looked at each other, before the Kitsune gave a shrug. ¡°The old Lady did say the room always comes with an all you can drink package.¡± [1]


    ¡°Well then.¡± Kurt said as he filled both cups and handed one to Eva. ¡°Prost¡±


    ¡°Prost¡± she replied in kind before they clinked the cups together and took their first drink of the day. [2][3]

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 3

    A few hours later Eva and Kurt had settled into different pools to relax. As they had found out rather quickly, each pool was kept at a different temperature, presumably by varying the ratios of hot and warm water which was flowing in. which would explain why each pool had two pipes leading into it.


    A handful of other guests had arrived as well over the last hour or so. While most of them seemed to politely ignore the others in the baths, some chatted with the rest of the group they arrived as. Only one seemed to pay the two Germans any attention, a middle aged, completely human looking woman. Though she only shot them curious glances every few minutes, and mostly towards Kurt at that.


    Not paying that any mind after a while, the Kitsune had instead focused again on why she had chosen one of the coldest pools to sit in. Eva had decided that if she had no candle flame to practice with, at least she could try and influence the temperature of the water around her. Which is why she had settled into one of the only pools with no other guests in it, and one of the colder ones of those at that.


    With how calm and quiet the whole area was, as even the chatter that happened was happening in rather low voices, she had a rather easy time to focus on this. Though her success was marginal at best. While she managed to heat some small volume of water every now and then, every time she moved, or lost the tiniest bit of focus, the warm water dispersed into the rest of the pool.


    The calm and quiet was shattered when a loud gong sounded from the castle. Unsure what this meant, Eva looked around. Noticing everyone except her and Kurt beginning to leave, she followed suit. Taking her towel from the hook she left it on, she wrapped it around herself as she carefully navigated the slippery wooden floors.


    As they reached the crowd before the staircase leading back to the changing room, it all slowed down as all the guests were both careful not to slip on the wet stairs, and forced into the rather small space enclosed by the walls either side of the staircase.


    When she finally reached the top and got to the basket with her things, Eva checked her phone. Seeing that it was just past noon, she realized she hadn¡¯t really eaten anything substantial all day.


    After changing back into her Yukata, she walked outside and stepped a bit off the main pathway to wait for Kurt. He took a while longer, and was thanking a Tengu roughly their age as he stepped outside. Waving to grab his attention, she stepped closer, her stomach grumbling quietly, probably inaudible to anyone with ears less keen than her own.


    Seeing his friend approach, Kurt finished his thanks with a quick bow before turning towards Eva.


    ¡°Hey. Seems everyone¡¯s going to get some rest before they eat lunch.¡± He explained to Eva while they slowly strolled along a side path to be out of the main crowd. ¡°How¡¯s your time been?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, I¡¯m getting rather peckish myself already.¡± The Kitsune replied before continuing with a sigh. ¡°And not as productive as I had hoped.¡±


    ¡°I mean we aren¡¯t here to be productive, but to relax.¡± He said with a smile as he draped an arm over her shoulders. ¡°So let¡¯s get some food and some more sake and do just that.¡±


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    ¡°Fine, you want to eat in the big hall they mentioned, or up in our room?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see that big hall I¡¯d say. We¡¯ll already be eating dinner in our room after all, hopefully before we need to deal with my furry little issue.¡± Kurt replied as he guided the two of them towards the front entrance. Once they had reintegrated into the crowd, they made their way to the young man at the front desk.


    ¡°Greetings, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to have lunch now.¡± Kurt stated firmly.


    ¡°Certainly, shall I show you to the banquet hall or do you wish for the food to be delivered?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to try eating in the hall this time please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, please follow me.¡± He said, before he put up a small sign explaining his absence. Waving for them to follow after him, he led them down a short corridor, before sliding open a massive sliding door, which Eva had at first thought to be a wall panel.


    The room they were stepping into was massive. Definitely bigger than Kurt¡¯s whole apartment. There was little light coming in from the top of the opposite side of the room, where painted sliding doors like the one they stepped through were keeping out the winter air. Most of the room seemed to be illuminated by pale blue balls of flame floating underneath the ceiling. Which tinted the massive mural spanning all 4 walls into slightly bluer hues than it probably actually was. The scene depicted seemed to be straight out of the Edo period, as it showed large armies of footsoldiers and mounted samurai clashing between two castles, which were painted on the two shorter walls.


    As they had been taking in all this, their guide had taken a pair of cushions out of a small wall closet integrated into the painting of the castle to their right. Placing them down next to each other, he waved for them to take a seat.


    ¡°I will now return to my duties, your food will be served momentarily.¡± Before they could thank him, he bowed and quickly left.


    With how much detail there was to take in on the mural, for example how all the blades were actually formed by tiny flecks of silver, the two were taken by surprise when a quiet cough next to them pulled their attention to a young oni girl standing before them.


    ¡°Ah hello. Here are your meals. Please enjoy, and don¡¯t hesitate to ask for seconds, or more to drink.¡± She said while placing a pair of raised trays before them. They were filled by a large plate of masterfully prepared sushi, a small bowl of miso soup, and a large and small bowl with a lid on them.


    While Eva picked up a piece of nigiri with tuna first, Kurt instead lifted the lid of the larger bowl, revealing it to be an oyakodon.


    As they both finished their first bites, the young girl returned with two large flasks and a pair of cups. After she filled the cups for each of them, they quickly toasted, before taking a sip. The sake they had been served this time was actually chilled, letting it¡¯s almost floral aroma develop much more fully than the warmed sake they had had all morning.


    Going through their meals, and flasks of sake, they failed to notice just how drunk they had actually become by the end of the meal.


    ~~~


    Waking up with a pounding headache in a mostly dark, snow covered forest, a snoring wolf lying next to her four foxy tails. When she wished for more light, a blue flame of fox fire sprang to life on the tip on each of her four tails.


    Wait, four?! Eva thought shocked more by the number of tails than the magical fire she had created. Trying to think back to when that happened, or how they got here, Eva just drew a massive blank, with the last thing she remembered before everything grew hazy stepping into the large dining hall.


    A Moment later Kurt let out a pained yip as he jumped up, a few of the hairs on his flank singed by the flames she had conjoured.


    ¡°Do you remember how we got here?¡± Eva asked, just to be greeted by a slow blink and a shake of his canine head.


    ¡°Great.¡±

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 4

    At least Eva quickly managed to focus despite her hangover. With the ghostly flames floating around them for some warmth, and a clear route back, the two of them were in high spirits, despite the lack of daylight.


    Though after the first time she got stuck in an unexpectedly deep patch of snow, the Kitsune also brought a flame up before them. With a path melted into the snow, their progress sped up somewhat.


    As they made their way through the frozen forest, Eva thought she had heard a strange crunching noise, but every time she looked for its origin, she found nothing that could have caused it.


    Marching on through the cold winter landscape, their progress soon slowed as they were guided further and further uphill. After 30 minutes, or maybe 2 hours, Eva could not tell the time at all with no clear view of the sky, and no daylight coming yet, they had to start climbing over some small rocky outcroppings where the snow had not found purchase.


    Not too long after that though, they were back to hiking through thick snow melted by Eva¡¯s flames. As they finally reached the mountain¡¯s peak, the duo was greeted with the first rays of sunlight glittering across the snow all around them. Spreading out down below them in the valley, was the lake the resort had been located in.


    But as they continued following the path her magic showed Eva, they soon noticed dark clouds rolling in around them. Just as the clouds finally covered the sky above them again, the two reached a strange structure. Sticking out of the mountain was a bundle of bamboo stems. With all of them looking quite reminiscent of the pipes used in the pools they had rested in that morning. It was held together by weathered ropes with little bits of torn and shredded paper on them in semi regular intervals.


    Sitting above this whole structure was a simple wooden roof, though here very fresh looking scratches cut through all the moss and discolorations the wood had gathered other the years. Giving them a closer look, Eva quickly realized that the spacing and grouping of those scratches matched up to claws on a paw. And considering they were supposed to now climb down this structure to get back, it slowly dawned on her just how they had gotten up here. Not that it explained how they pulled that off while utterly smashed.


    ¡°So you think you¡¯re up to climbing down this thing?¡± She asked Kurt hesitantly. While she¡¯d be fine, after all she¡¯s been walking up straight walls for a while now, her friend had less magical paws.


    He gave it a long look over, his head turning to try and follow it as it separated more and more from the ground. When he noticed how high a drop it became he slowly shook his head in response.


    ¡°Okay. So let¡¯s just head down the mountain. Once down in the valley we can just follow the road.¡±


    After nodding in response, Kurt began to lead their way down the mountain.


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    Only moments later though, the clouds opened up, and the wind began to howl. It started with a strong snowfall, but within half an hour, it developed into a blizzard. The snow fall was so dense that Eva lost sight of Kurt right before her. Only her magical ability to find her way to anything she could define concrete enough let her get close enough to grab onto the tip of his tail. And while her flames did nothing to help their visibility, she still kept them around and close to the two of them to fight off the biting chill of the wind and the freezing wetness of the snow gathering and melting in their fur.


    The howling of the wind made any attempt at communication mute, and so they trotted through the blinding whiteness following their best guess as to which way downhill was. With Eva tugging at Kurt¡¯s tail every now and then when she thought he was going the wrong way.


    But after the second time they bumped into that weird bamboo construction at shoulder height, they both silently concluded they had managed to get lost utterly. No longer trusting their ability to accurately judge which way was down, the two instead huddled together, curling their furry bodies around the quartet of flames Eva had conjured.


    A short while, or maybe an eternity, later though, a deep predatory howl set them on edge. Before they could get a grip of themselves, another howl followed, louder and closer, piercing through the shrill winds. As if a switch had been flipped, the animal instincts of their current shapes took over. With their minds filled with a red haze their bodies did the one thing they could, run away from the larger predator.


    But no matter how fast or far Eva ran, she never seemed to get further away from the hunter after them. If she had been able to form the thought, she might at least have been relieved that the thing after them wasn¡¯t gaining on them either.


    In their panic, neither of them could keep track of the time, nor where they were running towards. They did not even realize the howls behind them had stopped until they realized they¡¯d been walking on asphalt for a few steps.


    While it was still snowing heavily, down here in the valley the wind was soft enough to let them see somewhat through the snow. They had, miraculously, reached the parking lot at the foot of the mountain where they had turned off of the road the morning before.


    After a few minutes they had safely crossed the road and found the pier. As they stepped close enough for the illusions hiding the resort to fade, a concerned looking oni girl was revealed. Wearing a heavy straw cloak over her kimono and carrying an umbrella against the snow, she approached them, and pulled out a pair of woolen blankets from under her cloak.


    ¡°Oh so good you found your way back, we have been searching for you since you missed dinner.¡± She said as she put the blankets over the two of them. ¡°We were just about to send someone into the mountains, but then this blizzard hit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Can you just show us to our room though?¡± Eva asked, and when she heard a couple of sneezes from Kurt, she continued. ¡°And maybe prepare some hot tea for us please?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. Oh and do not worry, we found the one that got you into this predicament. You will be relieved to hear they have been forced off premise, and been banned from our establishment for the next century.¡±


    ¡°Wait what happened?¡±


    ¡°Well as far as we could figure out, a guest, appearing as a human woman, put something in the sake that had been served to you in the baths.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Eva mumbled as they followed her across the bridge.

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 5

    After they had been escorted up to their room, Kurt barely had time to change and get changed, before a tray with hot tea and two bowls of miso soup was carried in by a young Oni.


    ¡°I am so glad you returned safely.¡± She said as she placed the tray on the table in the middle of the room. ¡°We don¡¯t have much warm food on hand at this time of the day, so will sadly have to settle for some Miso soup.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine.¡± Eva says as she kneels down at the table, ¡°though how long were we out there?¡±


    ¡°Only the night at most.¡± The young woman replied as she got back up. ¡°We first noticed your absence when no one was here to be served dinner.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the food.¡± Eva says before taking a sip of her tea. Kurt too, just dropped onto the cushion on the other side of the table and began to enjoy the warmth of the provided food.


    ¡°So,¡± Kurt began half way through his bowl of soup, ¡°what next? Not sure I¡¯d want to get drugged again in the baths.¡± He then let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°and that much free alcohol wasn¡¯t going to result in anything good either.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Eva nodded after putting down her own bowl. ¡°Definitely need to find out if there¡¯s a way to stop shit like this with magic. Though first I really want to figure out how this suddenly works.¡± She finished as a ghostly blue flame flickered into existence in her palm.


    ¡°Why? If it works now, isn''t that good enough?¡± The Werewolf inquired, perplexed.


    ¡°No, because I have no idea why or how it suddenly just works.¡± The Kitsune ranted. ¡°And that after spending days practicing with no idea how to make it work.¡±


    ¡°You ever considered if just not thinking about it is why it now works?¡±


    ¡°But what if there is more to it?¡± She countered before bringing her bowl of soup back up to her mouth to finish it.


    ¡°Well how about we just enjoy the pool we got on the room¡¯s balcony today then?¡± Kurt offered after taking a sip of his tea. ¡°You can try and figure that magic stuff out, and I can simply relax.¡±


    With her mouth currently full of soup, Eva simply gave a short nod.


    ~~~


    Saturday evening found a frustrated Kitsune resting on one of the wooden loungers on the balcony. Eva had luckily quickly figured out how it allowed for adjustment to be comfortable for patrons with various configurations of non-human extremities such as a quartet of tails.


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    What she hadn¡¯t figured out yet, is what led to her newfound pyrokinetic abilities. Throughout her day of making little fires dance, and form a burning, barely accurate, Eiffel tower, to her frustrations it seemed that Kurt might have been on to something. As far as she had been able to determine, any of it involved as little conscious thought as moving her arm.


    Kurt meanwhile, had made the most of the bath, and been lounging in the hot water all day long. Albeit with breaks to grab something else to read every now and then.


    They had eaten Lunch in their room, which wasn¡¯t too different from the day before, this time serving Gyudon as the Donburi[1] part of the meal rather than Oyakodon.


    And the loud knock on the room¡¯s door indicated that dinner was about to be served. As the only dressed one on the balcony, Eva reluctantly got up and went to open the door.


    To her surprise there wasn¡¯t just one member of staff there, but three. One was carrying what looked like a weird pot or something, Eva was not able to figure it out. The second held a small basket of coal in one hand, and a large wooden bowl. Although the bowl had a lid on, Eva could still clearly identify the cooked rice by its smell. The third one carried two large plates, one filled with cuts of meat. It looked like it was all from the same animal due to the near identical color, but she was not sure what it came from. Her best guess was ¡®not poultry¡¯. The other plate was filled to the brim with sliced veggies and mushrooms. Sitting in the middle of that was a small pitcher with a dark brown sauce.


    ¡°Ah good evening.¡± The Oni carrying the grill began. ¡°Tonight we are serving you a popular dish from the north of Japan.¡± The trio then quickly moved past Eva to lay the things they carried down on the table, with the coals off to the side from the food.


    As what the Kitsune might have thought the lid of a pot was lifted from the strange contraption, the fact a few coals were dropped in and set a flame meant it was some kind of small table grill.


    ¡°While the coal gets prepared, let me explain it to you.¡± The same Oni addressed Eva. ¡°Once the grill is hot, you simply grill your own cuts of mutton. You can then also add from the prepared selection of vegetables, but we¡¯d recommend grilling some meat first, so the rest will take some of the flavors from the juices of that.¡± Waving to the basket of coals she continued ¡°You¡¯ll probably have to add more coals once or twice depending on how fast you are eating. Please take care not to burn yourselves. We¡¯d also advise against using magical flames instead, unless you are very used to cooking with them.¡±


    ¡°Ah sure.¡± Eva replied a tad overwhelmed when Kurt stepped in from the balcony after having put on his yukata again.


    ¡°What drinks would you like with your meal?¡± asked one of the younger Oni that had set up the grill. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with them. Probably even before the grill is hot.¡±


    ¡°Just some sparkling water please.¡± Eva says as she sits down at the table.


    ¡°An Asahi for me please.¡± Kurt says as he walks over to the table.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    Indeed she returned with their drinks shortly before the grill was hot enough to begin. Once the grill was ready, the staff left them a small bell to ring if they should require more drinks, or someone to clean up once they were finished.


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s dig in.¡± Kurt suggested before picking up the first piece of meat and dropping it on the grill. The sizzling sound it made immediately making both of them that much more eager to get a taste.

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 6

    The next morning, the sun rose mercilessly, heralding the end of the duo¡¯s stay at the onsen. But even so, when the first beams of light snuck through the blinds and onto Eva¡¯s snout, the Kitsune simply grumbled and turned onto her other side.


    Which would have netted her another few minutes of sleep at least. If she hadn¡¯t in the same movement deposited two of her tails across Kurt¡¯s face. Though even that might not have caused immediate issues, had one of them not fallen right across his mouth and nose.


    Startled by the sudden lack of air, he was ripped out of the last vestiges of sleep. Quickly, and painfully, shoving the tails out of his face, he gasped for air.


    With a yelp, Eva got up, giving Kurt an angry glare as she brought her tails closer to her.


    ¡°You brought that on yourself.¡± Kurt grumbled as he stretched.


    ¡°No need to be that rough.¡± She mumbled in reply as she nursed her hurt appendages.


    Giving just an annoyed grunt in response, Kurt slowly rose from his futon and stumbled his way over to the bathroom.


    While stretching a bit on her futon, Eva decided to go for one last soak in the pool on their balcony and made her way outside, turning mostly human to slide the door open more easily.


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    By the time it had filled up halfway with hot water, Kurt had finished in the bathroom and began to pack away what little he hadn¡¯t packed already the evening before.


    ¡°Packing already?¡± Eva asked him from where she was leaning against the balcony, a couple of blue balls of flame nearby keeping her warm despite the chilly morning air. ¡°We have until noon to leave.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s already past ten.¡± Kurt explained with a shrug. ¡°And in a bit under an hour there¡¯s gonna be one last breakfast, and then we¡¯ll already need to hurry to get back to town in time to catch the train.¡± He turned to give her a stern look as he continued. ¡°Or do you want to spend all day waiting for the night train to Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°Fiiiine.¡± Eva groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll have my things packed before breakfast.¡± Giving one last longing gaze to the slow flow of hot water, the Kitsune sighed and moved back inside and began to pack as much as she could before taking a, shorter than planned, soak.


    Of course, just as she had finished packing and gotten comfortable in the Onsen water, there was a knock on the door. When Kurt opened it, waiting there was a young oni ready to set down two trays with their breakfast on it.


    Nothing too special. Just like the last few days, it was some Miso soup and rice with a few pieces of grilled fish.


    Taking her time to get out and dry off, Kurt was already half way done with his meal by the time she sat down to start on hers. While she¡¯d have loved to savor every bite as long as possible, her friend''s annoyed glances kept her at a much faster pace.


    Thus not even half an hour after the food had been served, they were both ready to return to Tokyo.

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 7

    Wednesday evening found Eva anxiously waiting for Hanako to arrive for her next practice session. She¡¯d spent quite a while getting everything set up. On the low table in the middle of the room was an incense burner holding a few sticks of incense she had gotten from Prof. Yamanaka. Set around it was a spread of printouts, and a few playing cards. She¡¯d prepared them in the hopes that they might be useful for her student to form more clear mental pictures for the illusions she¡¯d try to weave.


    Set before Eva, on the opposite side of the table, was a pair of big ceramic bowls. One was filled with sand to extinguish anything she unintentionally sets on fire. While the other was empty and more for hopefully catching embers and sparks so she wouldn¡¯t need the other one.


    Deciding to use the time somewhat productively, rather than waiting restlessly, Eva took a deep breath and closed her eyes. As her body relaxed, her mind began to wander, soon latching on to the ethereal connections to her various shintai. It took her a few moments until she managed to differentiate the two, but soon she began to try and stretch her spirit towards the mask Hanko was carrying. Her progress was markedly slow, but the Kitsune didn¡¯t mind that. SImply moving her consciousness from one shintai to another had become worryingly easy for her. Thus she was currently trying to connect fully to the mask, without giving up control of her body.


    Every time she felt her sense of touch growing more fuzzy, she stopped her progress for a moment. Then she carefully held on to her mental tether to the mask as she tried to regain her senses. After which she slowly returned to inching closer to connecting to the mask.


    She felt she was finally getting to the point where she was ¡®seeing¡¯ a fuzzy image through the mask¡¯s eyes, when the sound of a door being opened shredded her concentration. Opening her eyes she hastily looked to the door, but was a bit confused when the door was still closed. Though now with her mind confined to just her body again, she faintly picked up the sound of Yukiko greeting Hanako animatedly. The young Yuki-Onna had been invited to play as part of a local showcase of traditional music for the surrounding elementary schools, and had been in uncharacteristically high spirits since.


    ¡°Hello Eva.¡± The young business woman said as she slid the door to the tatami room open.


    ¡°Hi. Come sit, I¡¯ve prepared a few things that should help us move you to the next step.¡± Eva replied happily as she waved a hand towards the table. In an attempt to impress Hanako a bit, she let a pair of embers drop from her hand during that movement. They slowly drifted towards two of the incense sticks before igniting them.


    Hanako, much to Eva¡¯s chagrin, didn¡¯t look overly impressed by this though. Seemingly less impressed or surprised, and more just vaguely intrigued with how her eyes had followed the embers and were now focused on the burning incense as she walked up to the table.


    ¡°You mean doing actual magic?¡± She asked as she kneeled down on the other side of the table.


    ¡°Yes. I thought we could try some illusions tonight.¡± The Kitsune confirmed with a nod, looking down at the things laid before Hanako. While faint trails of smoke began to stretch towards the ceiling from the lit incense. ¡°Nothing too complex yet don¡¯t worry. For a start, we could start with having you change this ace of spades here.¡± She explained before pointing at the card in question.


    ¡°Sounds good, so how do I do that?¡± Hanako inquired, before quickly continuing. ¡°Well after the whole drawing magic from the mask we¡¯ve been practicing.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯ll need to first form a firm mental image of how you want the card to look. Then focus on making it actually look that way.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Hanako said with a confident nod. She then took the mask out of her bag and placed it on her lap. As she closed her eyes, Eva noticed her breathing slow down. Carefully observing as a trickle of magic was drawn from her mask, Eva was wondering how well this first try would work. To her surprise, there soon appeared some smudged red lines above the card. While it wasn¡¯t actually distinct, Eva took a guess as to what Hanako wanted to show and spoke up once the lines stopped changing much.


    ¡°So was that supposed to be just a change to an ace of hearts?¡±


    As Hanako was startled, the lines that had appeared immediately vanished, and she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Ah yes. Was it that good?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± Eva said, holding up a hand to placate her disappointed looking student. ¡°But I took a guess after seeing some red lines over the spade on the card. In my experience of first working illusions, it is harder to have a firm enough picture in mind if what you want to make appear is too close to what you want to replace with it.¡±


    ¡°So you say I should have tried for a card of a diamond suit?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Or something that isn¡¯t a poker card at all. I can¡¯t know what would be easier for you to keep distinct from the card we have here.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Can I have a moment to think of something?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Eva said with a nod. ¡°And don¡¯t hesitate to check for references on your phone. I found it easier in the beginning to work from more recent memories rather than older ones.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Hanako said, before pulling out her phone and looking up something.


    A few moments later, she put the phone away again, closed her eyes, and began to focus once more.


    This time, the whole card changed. And while it was still fuzzy and out of focus looking, it was fully replacing the original card. Soon Eva found herself looking at a strange card with a fuzzy black and gold border around it, a box filled with smudged text she couldn¡¯t quite make out, and a fuzzy image of a figure in white clothes. While it was clearly washed out and needed Hanako to keep a clearer picture in mind, it at least left no appearance of the ace of spades peaking through.


    Not wanting to distract her again, Eva kept quiet this time, until her student asked ¡°How¡¯s it this time.¡±


    ¡°Try seeing for yourself.¡± The Kitsune encouraged her and waited for her to open her eyes.


    Which she did soon after, causing the corners of her mouth to sink as she tried her best to hide her disappointment. This caused her to lose focus and the card wavered and grew even more hazy before the Illusion unraveled to reveal the original playing card.


    ¡°That was kinda sad.¡± Hanako mumbled as her head dropped down.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Eva said with a smile. ¡°It was already a major improvement over the first attempt. I am sure you can get this down tonight. At least the card changing trick.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though what was it you tried to change the card into?¡±


    ¡°Ah it¡¯s Prism, a hero card from a new game an old college friend in america had me trying out and playing.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well it clearly seemed to have worked better for you than trying for an ace.¡± Eva said with a shrug. She then gestured towards the bowls before her and continued. ¡°Though as there¡¯s not much danger, I¡¯d like to practice something I¡¯ve been working on myself. If you don¡¯t mind, that is.¡±


    ¡°Ah no, I can still ask you if I have a question though right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, after all that¡¯s why we are here.¡± Eva said with a friendly nod as she conjured a small blue flame in her hand.

 The 7th Delivery: Chapter 8

    Eva felt she was just about to reach a major breakthrough with figuring out her fire powers. She had managed to conjure a seemingly autonomous little firefox that was playing around in the bowl she had prepared before.


    But when the front door was slammed closed loud enough to utterly shatter her concentration, the light blue flames forming its body dispersed into tiny embers that were extinguished before they even reached the bowl.


    Looking up from her practice at Hanako, Eva saw a slightly shocked expression on her students face. The lack of illusions around meant she to had her concentration disturbed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out, you just keep practicing.¡± Eva reassured her as she got up to check who had just come. ¡°You¡¯ve been making great progress tonight already.¡± The Kitsune continued, giving her friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder.


    Carefully sliding the door to the main room open, she took a look around to see who had just stormed in. Once she spotted Youya¡¯s shoes flung haphazardly around in the genkan, Eva began to look for the young Tanuki.


    Her first instinct of checking his room turned out to be a miss, as it was empty. And even giving it a closer look, she found no signs that anyone had been here in the last few hours.


    She next thought about checking the kitchen, but that too was empty. Eva was about to step out, when she noticed a bit of a plastic bag peeking out from the fridge¡¯s door. Sighing deeply, she went over to check, and was a tad surprised to find the bag of groceries just thrown in there with seemingly no care at all. Taking a moment to make sure nothing in there was broken, she was relieved the carton of eggs had survived fully intact. But the package of pocky had crumbled in a way that left no doubt about how intact its contents were. Letting out a sigh, she picked it up, and decided some chocolate covered snacks, even if smashed to bits, couldn¡¯t hurt when she finally found Touya.


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    Deciding she¡¯d better give it to him, Eva remembered the fact she could just see where she¡¯d need to go to get to him magically. Checking this way, she immediately headed to the back door towards the garden, where she found him sitting on the veranda with his back towards the door.


    While he looked alright, Eva knew that didn¡¯t need to mean much. He was a natural at transforming himself to look however he wanted to after all. Returning to her more foxy form, she slowly approached him, carefully making sure her claws made audible noise on the wooden floor without damaging it.


    Sitting down next to him, she quietly rests a tail on the shoulder next to her. Dropping the pocky in his lap she looks out across the garden, and after a while settled on watching the water feature near the edge going klunk, klunk, klunk every few seconds as the bamboo pipe fills up.


    After a few cycles of this, she broke the silence. ¡°Just take the pocky, I kinda got careless with it.¡± she lied, poking the crumbled cardboard box with a tail.


    Another few klunks later, he slowly opened the package, and took out one of the chocolate covered snacks. As he began to nibble on it, she continued.


    ¡°You do know I am happy to listen if there¡¯s anything troubling you, right?¡± She looked down, her ears folding back while fiddling with her two remaining tails. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll necessarily understand what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t even know what''s going on with myself. But I¡¯ll be happy to listen if you want to talk.¡±


    The two fell back into silence, with Eva waiting for Touya to give any sign he had listened, ears flicking back and forth slowly with every noise that echoed across the garden.


    When he finally gave a quick nod, Eva gave his shoulder a, hopefully reassuring, pat with her tail and slowly left, to give him a chance to protest if he wanted her to stay.


    When he hadn¡¯t moved except to continue nibbling on pocky by the time she reached the door, Eva slipped back in, turning back into a human.


    When the Kitsune returned to the tatami room and her practicing student, she was surprised to see she had managed to make a little black line appear floating in the air already.


    ¡°Everything seems to be alright.¡± She reassured Hanako as she sat down before her again.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Hanako replied with an annoyed pout on her lips, as her line had just vanished again.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 1

    Eva was outside on the shrine grounds in the frigid early morning air on Friday. Having drawn the short stick in shift scheduling once again, the Kitsune was glad she had mastered her new found pyrokinesis enough to stay warm without any sign how she was doing so while she swept her broom across the small paths to keep them clear for visitors.


    Thus instead of shivering, she did her work with a faint smile, though it failed to reach her tired eyes due to the early hour. Being not quite awake yet, Eva nearly missed Yujiro walking up to her, until he greeted her.


    ¡°Morning Eva.¡± He said cheerfully, but sounded just barely more awake than herself.


    ¡°Oh. Moooorning.¡± Eva said, interrupting herself with a half yawn. ¡°Quite early for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He agreed with a sigh. ¡°But my usual buyer is ill, so off to the fish market it is for me.¡±


    ¡°Well Best of luck. Get some of that fresh fish.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Oh, before I forget.¡± Yujiro replied with a snap of his fingers, ¡°Hanako asked me to let you guys know she won¡¯t be able to make it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious happened to her I hope?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Just her new position being more demanding.¡±


    ¡°Ah well tell her I said good luck with that then.¡± Eva replied before having to suppress another yawn.


    With a friendly wave, he moved on for his morning prayer, while Eva continued to sweep the paths.


    Soon after though, she heard grumbling coming from a nearby tree. Moving to investigate, she saw a rather drunk Ratatoskr, holding a letter and rambling utterly incoherently. In at least two different languages.


    Taking the letter before he did something stupid with it, Eva was very surprised to see it addressed to herself. Moving closer to one of the lanterns lighting the path so she could read it, Eva carefully opened the envelope and began to read.


    Dear Fr?ulein Mayer,


    There are a few topics I need to talk to you about in person. Thus I would like to invite you to a nice private lunch in Roppongi¡¯s RyuGin this sunday afternoon. I would advise you dress the part, but as long as you show the staff this letter, they will escort you to the private room I reserved.


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    While I hope this reaches you in time to not disrupt any plans you may have made already, I sadly know Ratatoskr better than that. If he was too late, do give him a few good slaps, and tell him to let me know, so other arrangements can be made.


    <ol>


    <li> Odinson</li>


    </ol>


    Post Scriptum: Do feel free to bring your part time furry boyfriend.


    Post Post Scriptum: While I wished I could have written to you in your native German, as others need to understand this while reading, I choose to default to English instead.


    ¡®Okay, that¡¯s unusual.¡¯ The Kitsune thought to herself, ¡®Better have Komaki check this over when he gets out of bed.¡¯


    ~~~


    ¡°Really should have sent us an email or something sooner.¡± Kurt grumbled as he stood up and left the small auditorium his first class of the day should have taken place in. Just a few moments ago, a member of staff had come in to let them all know their professor had called in sick that day. As this lecture would have filled most of his day until noon, Kurt found himself at a loss as to what to do with his day.


    Deciding to see if Eva had any ideas, he decided to give her a Call.


    ¡°AH Kurt, I thought you had class right now?¡± was the first thing he heard the moment she picked up.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s why I am calling. Prof is sick, so I am unexpectedly free till noon.¡± He replied with a sigh. ¡°I hoped you might want to kill those four or so hours together.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something I¡¯d need to talk with you about as it turns out. So you mind heading over to the shrine? We can talk more there.¡±


    ¡°Of-of course.¡± Kurt replied, slightly unsure what exactly Eva would have to talk about.


    ¡°Great, see you soon.¡± She said before hanging up on him.


    Letting out a deep sigh at the lost chance to ask for more details, Kurt made his way to the nearest underground station.


    It took quite a while without Eva¡¯s shortcuts, but Kurt finally was turning the second to last corner before he¡¯d reach his destination. But just as he stepped into the alleyway, something seemed off to him. Not one to ignore a gut feeling like this, he stopped and took in his surroundings.


    Nothing looked out of place at first glance, with a few empty garbage collection spaces for the nearby houses that only held some empty glass bottles and a few bikes and motorcycles being all that was in view.


    But to his nose, the scene was something else completely. Most smells were just what one would expect. The dogs living here and their urine on various spots along the alley. A faint smell of a strange mix of beverages from the bottles.


    What did stand out though, was the lack of gasoline in the air considering there were three motorcycles around him. Giving it another few sniffs, Kurt slowly realized that what he had thought to be dogs at first reminded him faintly of Touya. Except for having peed everywhere. More telling than that, was how this smell clung to the motorcycles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know what you are up to, but the gig¡¯s up.¡± Kurt mumbled, loud enough for a Tanuki to hear, but hopefully too quiet for any humans around to overhear.


    Getting no response, Kurt carefully made his way down the alley, giving each of the disguised Tanuki a stern glare as he walked past them.


    Once past them, he hastened his pace to finally find out what Eva had to talk about with him.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 2

    ¡°So,¡± Kurt began as he stepped inside and spotted Eva sagged into a chair still wearing her miko clothes, ¡°What exactly had you so worried that you don''t want to talk about it on the phone?¡±


    ¡°This¡± Eva said as she picked up the folded letter and turned to hand it over to her friend.


    She watched with bated breath as his eyes run over the text in his hands, then went over it again. ¡°And what do you think?¡±


    ¡°For someone who knows so much about it, this Odinson is suspiciously sparse on details.¡± Kurt commented after a moment of deliberation. ¡°How did you get this in the first place?¡±


    ¡°A very drunk squirrel dropped it in front of me.¡± She replied, leaning back into her chair, her left arm dangling down limply.


    ¡°Well then even if it is as sketchy looking as it is, we should probably go.¡± Kurt mused aloud. ¡°After all, if they can find out this much about us, and make Ratatoskr deliver the letter, we probably can¡¯t avoid them for long anyways.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s just what Komaki said earlier as well.¡± Eva said, sagging a bit in on herself. ¡°Do you have anything to wear to a fancy restaurant like that?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. I packed a suit.¡± The werewolf replied, before mumbling on. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t expect to use it for a fancy dinner.¡±


    ¡°Well then I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait for Sunday and hope it¡¯s not a bad surprise, whatever it will be.¡±


    ¡°What about asking prof. Yamanaka for advice?¡± He suggested with a tilt of his head. ¡°Or did you call him already?¡±


    ¡°No, I, kinda, forgot that was an option.¡± Eva mumbled while rubbing her neck, fluffy fox ears flattened against her hair.


    ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t his class that was canceled this morning, so how about we swing by his office later today?¡± Kurt suggested, to which the Kitsune simply nodded. ¡°Great, then how about we do something more entertaining than moping around about things we have no idea how to approach?¡± As he finished, he didn¡¯t even wait for his friend¡¯s reply. He simply took a hold of her dangling left arm and dragged her to the genkan to put on shoes.


    ~~~


    As the Werewolf hadn¡¯t given her much choice, Eva had had to change her clothes to something more casual as they¡¯d taken the short cut along the fox road. After stepping out through a Torii near a small shrine in a side alley, the Kitsune¡¯s stomach let out a long growl. While she was busy trying not to look embarrassed about it, Kurt took charge and, following his nose, dragged her off again.


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    ¡°Seems someone hasn¡¯t had breakfast yet.¡± He ribbed her, a friendly grin nearly splitting his face. ¡°So what are you feeling like? Handful of Karaage? A few takoyaki? A skewer of grilled eel? My treat.¡±


    ¡°Takoyaki sounds good.¡± Eva mumbled in reply as she let herself be dragged along.


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s go find a takoyaki stand before we see about bothering prof. Yamanaka.¡±


    While he had no magic sense of direction like her, Eva knew that Kurt¡¯s nose could be trusted, especially when he was leading the duo towards food. And sure enough, after rounding a couple of corners, the two Germans reached a rather nondescript takoyaki stand. The grill was manned by an elderly gentleman, who displayed speed and agility when flipping around the tiny balls of sizzling hot dough few would attribute to one as wrinkled as him.


    Entranced by the lovely smell and the prospect of tongue searing hot food, Eva completely missed Kurt ordering, paying for, and receiving half a dozen tiny balls of octopus filled deliciousness until he pushed one against her lips.


    Opening her mouth and taking it off the little wooden toothpick he had used to pick it up, Eva was immediately reminded why that was usually a bad idea. As she bit down, the slightly gooey, and burning hot, interior of the takoyaki spilled out and covered her whole mouth. Parting her lips slightly, Eva began to pant loud and fast, trying to get as much of the cool morning air to sooth her mouth as possible.


    Kurt, deciding to be both helpful and enjoy this, was laughing loudly at her misfortune while taking a bottle of ice cold water from the vendor and handing it to the unfortunate Kitsune.


    ¡°Tha- thanks.¡± Eva groaned once her mouth was no longer in utter agony.


    ¡°No worries, I got you.¡± He replied as he held out the small paper tray with the remaining takoyaki for her.


    As she took it from him and began to eat the rest of it, much more carefully now, the two continued on, and, thanks to numerous more or less weird short cuts, soon arrived at their destination.


    Sadly, what greeted them was not the open office door and friendly professor they had hoped could give them some sage advice. Instead a sign hanging from his door informed everyone interested that he¡¯d sadly not be available for anything beyond classes, and to please present any important issues to one of his teaching assistants.


    Seeing a weird ripple in the air around the sign though, Eva focused on her magic, hoping to make something happen with those. Be it because it was just supposed to reveal itself to magical students, or because Eva actually managed to make something happen, the note did expand, letting people in the know know that he was busy counseling a small number of students that had unexpectedly been thrown into the deep end of things. Though even this was rather sparse on Details.


    ¡°Well, there goes that idea.¡± Eva grumbled, head dipping down.


    ¡°Well, if he truly is busy with something like that, I think we can handle a slightly suspicious dinner by ourselves.¡± Kurt offered, putting a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Do you want to check if maybe Karasuza is up for sitting on a nearby window so we have someone we can trust to call for help if things go weird?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah that¡¯s a good idea, I¡¯ll visit her later today.¡± Eva said, pulling her head back up.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 3

    Hanako was still hard at work despite the late hour. Hunched over a tad due to the exhaustion of working overtime most of this week. The young, freshly promoted woman was determined to finish all of November¡¯s paperwork before the start of December next week. After all, how would it reflect on her former superiors when she could not finish the work she had to do by the time it should be done.


    With a yawn sneaking its way out of her mouth she was reminded of how tired she already was. While she had not learned how to magically make her tiredness disappear, Hanako still put a hand into her bag to brush over the foxmask she kept in there for good luck. Bringing her attention back to the small stack of paper on her desk, and the massive list of unfinished files on her PC, she let out a sigh and got back to work.


    A while later, the noise of steps echoing across the corridor just outside her slightly open office door distracted her. The distinct clack clack of high heels made her think it might be one of her coworkers working late just like herself. But when the door opened, she immediately recognized the middle aged woman revealed as her boss.


    ¡°Greetings Mrs. Odinson, what brings you here so late at night?¡±


    ¡°Good evening Miss Unagi, I simply saw that there was still a light on in your office when I headed home.¡± She said, brushing a strand of her long black hair behind her ear as she leaned forward. ¡°I thought you might have just forgotten to turn it off, so I came to take care of it, but now I find you here instead of at home with your fiance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to be home, but this needs to be done before the end of the month so I..¡±


    ¡°Decided to ignore our no voluntary overtime policy and stay late?¡±


    Hanako just meekly nodded in response as she fought to suppress a yawn.


    ¡°Well we have that policy for a reason, go home and get some rest. A tired employee makes more mistakes after all.¡± She stated before straightening back up and taking a step back before waiting for Hanako at the open door.


    Getting the hint, Hanako quickly saves her work and while her computer shuts down, begins to pack her things.


    Locking her office door, she silently followed her boss to the elevator and then out of the building.


    ~~~


    Kurt was just about to start cleaning his dishes after dinner, when his phone rang. Turning off the water in case this call took longer, he picked up the call.


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    ¡°Hello, Wagner here.¡±


    ¡°Ah Kurt, is, is that you?¡± He heard the nervous voice of Touya coming from the other end of the connection.


    ¡°Ah yes, what¡¯s up Touya?¡± The werewolf responded, mildly puzzled why the Tanuki would call him over talking to any of the other Youkai he lived with.


    ¡°Do you have some time to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course.¡± Kurt said, quickly sitting down on the nearest chair. ¡°Any reason you called me instead of asking Eva or Yukiko for help though?¡±


    ¡°Ah well that, that is kinda part of the issue.¡± The voice of the tanuki rung with a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°Well what is the issue then.¡±


    ¡°Have you noticed that group of Tanuki that¡¯s been hanging around our neighborhood?¡±


    ¡°I ran into em before yes. Why are they giving you guys trouble?¡±


    ¡°Just just me.¡± Touya said before he took a deep breath audible over the phone. ¡°See whenever they spot me out and about, they harass me. They trip me, stomp on my groceries, spill whatever bag I carry out on the streets. Just about anything you can think of short of actual violence.¡±


    ¡°Oh. But why didn¡¯t you ask Eva for help? Or Komaki?¡±


    ¡°Well I tried to ask that old Kodama, but he said I should just toughen up and deal with it.¡±


    ¡°And Eva?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about this with her. Or Yukiko for that matter.¡± Touya snapped.


    ¡°Okay, okay, so do you know why they seem to have it out for you?¡± Kurt asked calmly to change the subject slightly.


    ¡°They usually mockmefotransformintoagirlegularly.¡± Touya¡¯s reply came, probably faster than his mouth or his phone could handle.


    ¡°Calm down, just take a breath, and try that again a tad slower so I can actually understand a word.¡± Kurt advised calmly.


    ¡°They always make fun of me posing as a miko at the shrine during the day.¡± Touya repeated slightly calmer and much more intelligible.


    ¡°Okay. I guess that explains why you didn¡¯t wanna talk to the girls about it.¡± Kurt said before thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Mhm. That would just start an argument of what is wrong with being a girl or something I am sure.¡±


    While Kurt wasn¡¯t as sure about that as the young Tanuki, he didn¡¯t say anything as he finally got an Idea. ¡°Well if you could convince Komaki to let you be a trainee priest or something like that maybe they would lay off?¡±


    ¡°That was what I talked to him about.¡± Touya said, disappointment ringing clear as day in his voice. ¡°But he said if I couldn¡¯t deal with some bullies on my own, he¡¯d not even consider it.¡±


    ¡°I see. He¡¯s kinda stuck in his times and ways huh.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am sad to say, but in this case, Komaki is right to some degree.¡± Kurt said with a sigh before elaborating. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯ll gladly help you figure something out. But it would probably be best if you managed to in the end stand up to them yourself. You see, if I or Eva or someone else deals with them for you, unless they¡¯d use far more drastic measures than I, and probably Eva as well, am comfortable with, they¡¯d just find ways to harass you while evading your protector.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Well for now, how about you come over tomorrow morning and we can make some plans then?¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    ¡°Great, see you tomorrow then.¡± Kurt said before hanging up, and going back to doing his dishes.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 4

    Saturday morning Kurt had just finished breakfast and was cleaning the dishes when his doorbell rang. After putting down the bowl he was just finishing, he made his way to the door to open it, revealing a patiently waiting Touya.


    ¡°Good morning. Thank you for your help.¡± The Tanuki greeted the werewolf as he stepped inside.


    ¡°No need to thank me, I am happy to help.¡± Kurt replied with a smile as he guided his young friend to his small living room table. After they both sat down he leaned on to the table and continued. ¡°So what do you actually know about those bullies?¡±


    ¡°What is there to know?¡± Touya grumbled defensively. ¡°They are assholes that won¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°If we can figure out the why behind their bullying, we might have a much easier time solving this issue than just beating them all up in retaliation until they get the message.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Touya asked, head turned to the side, ears twitching in confusion.


    ¡°Well in my experience, Bullies usually do it for one of two reasons. Even if they might not understand that themselves.¡± Kurt began while placing his tablet on the table and opening a drawing app. ¡°Either they use it to let out stress or frustrations they don¡¯t know how to deal with. Or because they get something out of this.¡± Splitting the page evenly between the two he gave Touya a chance to ask a question or two. When none came, he continued.


    ¡°Of course both of these might overlap some, and have various root causes. The stress could be from strained relationships, or pressure to perform, or any of a myriad reasons.¡± Noting his examples down, he switched to the other half of the page. ¡°And what they could get out of it can vary just as much. They could do it to get clout with a group of some sort. They might genuinely be sadists that enjoy seeing suffering, or they might feel better about themselves by proving to themselves there¡¯s someone they can push around still.¡±


    ¡°I see, but how does any of that help us, even if we did know about it?¡± Touya inquired as he took in the graphic Kurt had sketched out.


    ¡°Well it depends. If they were dealing with stress poorly, we could try helping them deal with that in a healthier way. If they do it out of an inferiority complex, dealing with that might be more effective.¡±


    ¡°And you really think any of that would make them leave me alone?¡±


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    ¡°Most likely. So what do you know about them?¡±


    ¡°Not much.¡± Touya mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing them around our neighborhood for about a month by now. I ran into them just about anywhere in that area before. And they seem to always stick together.¡±


    ¡°Hm. are there any other Tanuki around where you live?¡± Kurt asked, thinking back to his last encounter with a group of Tanuki.


    ¡°Not that I know of.¡±


    ¡°Hm, then they might be that scared pack of Tanuki I went past a few weeks ago.¡± Kurt said as he begins taking notes on what they know about the bullies on a new page.


    ¡°So they are as far as we know the only Tanuki around. And they have no trouble going after you, but would rather stay out of my way.¡±


    ¡°So what are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, as un satisfying as it sounds for now, try figuring out where and how they live.¡± Kurt suggested. ¡°Because if there¡¯S no other Tanuki around, they might simply be out of their depth living on their own.¡±


    ¡°But what will that help?¡±


    ¡°I would hope that if they are indeed overwhelmed with living in the city, just helping them get that all in order might either get them to back off, or at least leave them too busy to harass you as much.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Touya mumbled unsurely.


    ¡°Anyways, mind lending me a quick hand with the dishes?¡± Kurt asked as he got up. ¡°I wanted to head over to meet with Eva, but I wasn¡¯t able to finish cleaning up before you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Ah sure.¡± The Tanuki agreed as he too got up and followed Kurt to hsi small Kitchen counter.


    ~~~


    ¡°Hey Eva, have you figured everything out for the Dinner tomorrow?¡± Kurt inquired as he spotted the disguised Kitsune cleaning the shrine grounds. He had just returned with Touya, though they had not come across the other Tanuki on their way there.


    ¡°Oh morning Kurt.¡± Eva greeted him while pausing and leaning against her broom. ¡°And yes. I found I didn¡¯t have an appropriate outfit packed, but luckily Yukiko is lending me an appropriately formal Kimono. And offered to help me put it on.¡±


    ¡°And here I expected you to just create one with your whole fox magic.¡±


    Kurt joked with a smirk. Touya meanwhile, after deciding he had no part in this conversation, headed inside.


    The Kitsune let out a deep sigh before responding to that. ¡°I was planning to, until both Yukiko and Komaki reminded me that whoever invited us could be touchy about that. Even advised me not to hide the ear and tail once in the private room mentioned in the letter.¡±


    ¡°And Karasuza?¡±


    ¡°Ready to help keep an eye on it all. I¡¯ll go over to get her tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Kurt replied. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing left to do but not get too worked up.¡±


    ¡°We could always get worked up about other things.¡± Eva teased before chuckling.


    Kurt, a slight blush on his face replied. ¡°Or we could try out this new game I came across to pass the time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe once I am done with my shift.¡±

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 5

    Sunday afternoon found Kurt waiting for Eva in the genkan. His dripping wet umbrella had been leaned into the corner so that it would only drip onto the stone floor of the entrance, not the wooden one of the rest of the living room.


    He had planned to be early, but with the bad weather they¡¯d been having that afternoon and keeping an eye out for the Tanuki hooligans, without success, the werewolf had barely arrived on time. Which wasn¡¯t all that bad because, as Touya had informed him, Eva and Yukiko would be taking a while still to finish getting the Kitsune ready. Which did get Kurt to wonder what would take Eva so long, seeing as she usually didn¡¯t take much time to get her hair and clothes ready, and as far as he could tell didn¡¯t use much makeup either.


    When, about ten minutes later, Eva did make her way down the stairs carefully, Kurt was taken aback by how stunning she looked. She was wearing a very light blue, nearly white, Furisode she had borrowed from Yukiko. It seemed rather plain until she took a few steps and the change in lighting as the kneeling sleeves waved back and forth let the embroidered snowflake design shimmer all across the fabric in an icy blue that matched the light eyeshadow Eva had put on.


    What came as a somewhat shocking surprise to Kurt though, was the short hair she now sported. The cut was, at least in his humble opinion, rather stylish, but it was a stark difference to how long she¡¯d usually had her hair.


    ¡°You, uh look great Eva.¡± he mumbled, hopefully loud enough for her to hear, before taking a deep breath to continue more calmly. ¡°But what¡¯s with the new hairstyle.¡±


    The annoyed sigh she let out ruined the image of beautiful perfection she had created by simply walking down the stairs.


    ¡°Well as it turns out, transforming your hair into shape does not let you skip on actual hair care.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Kurt hummed inquisitively.


    ¡°Well long story short. When I actually let my hair return to normal on Komaki¡¯s insistence, it was going to be something like this, or dreadlocks.¡± Eva grumbled as an annoyed scowl quickly crossed her face when she tried to play with a no-longer existing lock of hair. ¡°You don¡¯t like it, I guess?¡±


    ¡°No no no Not at all.¡± Kurt quickie replied with a shake of his head. ¡°I was just rather shocked after always seeing you with much longer hair.¡±


    ¡°Well no need to get too used to this.¡± Eva proclaimed as she reached the genkan. ¡°Unless I need to meet people that can tell the difference, and are liable to be offended by it, I¡¯ll keep my hair long the not so natural way.¡±


    Handing his friend her own Umbrella, Kurt offered her his arm. ¡°Well shall we get going then my lady?¡±


    Eva gave his arm a slight shove, letting her left sleeve flutter around, despite the goofy grin on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pompous. Let¡¯s get this over with without making anyone too mad at us.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Kurt said as he opened the door. When he did try to grab his umbrella, he noticed that the Kitsune did slide her left hand onto his offered arm. So he quickly used his shoe to hold the door open, freeing up his other hand to grab and open his own umbrella.


    ~~~


    Quite a while later the two had finally reached their destination. Stepping out of the elevator into the restaurant¡¯s lobby, the two were surprised at how quiet it all was. But before they could mention that to each other, the lady standing at a small reception desk tried to get their attention.


    ¡°Good evening sir, madam, May I see your reservation?¡± She inquired, with little to no emotion showing on her face, her hands hidden in her light pink Houmongi¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡°Ah yes of course.¡± Eva replied before hurriedly digging the invitation out of her sleeve. ¡°Here you go.¡± She then offered the note to the lady after unfolding it.


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    She took a moment to study the note, before stepping out from behind the desk. ¡°If you would please follow me, the rest of your party is already waiting.¡±


    The next few minutes were spent in silence as the German duo was led through the seemingly empty restaurant. They ended up stopping before a door to a small private room. As they stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by a large glass wall looking out over Roppongi bathed in the late afternoon sun. Their attention was quickly drawn to the middle aged looking woman seated already at the table as she dismissed the receptionists.


    ¡°Ah so good to see you two again.¡± She greeted them warmly, waving to the two prepared seats opposite of her. ¡°I had hoped to talk to you again earlier, but after I got thrown out of the Onsen resort for getting you two a bit tipsy, I decided to arrange for something more private.¡± As the two sat down at the indicated seats, Eva could swear she heard the lady mumble ¡°Not that I could get rid of all the audience even if I tried my hardest.¡± but with it being such a strange remark, she decided she must have misunderstood her.


    ¡°So what do you want to talk about with us?¡± Eva inquired, arms crossed loosely before her chest.


    ¡°Well as we had so little chance to talk before, I wanted to see how my dear grandson and his girlfriend are doing. Now that I actually managed to run into one again after so long.¡±


    ¡°Wait grandson?¡± Kurt shouted in disbelief.


    ¡°Were you really that drunk? We went over that at least last time. I am not one to care to count the right number of ¡®great¡¯s to insert so I don¡¯t bother. And I am rather certain that I was the one giving birth in this case. Unlike with Fenrir.¡±


    ¡°Fenrir? Who are you?¡± Eva asked, now very much confused as to who was seated opposite of them. ¡°And what do you mean last time, we never talked to you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t remember?¡± She asked, surprised. ¡°We spent most of Saturday afternoon together at the Onsen before the two of you decided to go hike the mountains for some alone time.¡±


    ¡°Not. A. Thing.¡± Kurt said, hoping to clarify to the lady claiming to be his ancestor, who started grumbling something about people missing out on great stories, before sighing deeply.


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s start this over. I am Loki Odinson, Ex-Wife of Thor, progenitor of a lot of weird critters and people around to this day. Though these days I spend my time just enjoying watching humans create their own chaos.¡± She let out a deep chuckle. ¡°This whole stock exchange thing was beyond the wildest dreams of any deity of Chaos, mischief or anything else related really. And they did that all to themselves too.¡±


    ¡°Oookay.¡± Eva said unsurely, mildly cowed by the knowledge of who was sitting across them. ¡°So what does any of that have to do with us and why did you invite us here?¡±


    ¡°Well for one, I want to spoil this here grandson of mine and his girlfriend. And you are playing with one of my toys.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡± Kurt protested weakly, to which Loki simply replied with a chuckle and a mischievous grin.


    ¡°What ¡°toy¡±?¡± Eva said quickly to change the topic, cheeks flushed a little red.


    ¡°Well you are currently teaching Miss Unagi magic are you not?¡± Loki inquired.


    ¡°Yes, is that a problem?¡± Eva asked carefully. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she worked for you, let alone what that might mean.¡±


    ¡°Ah no. I just prefer to be informed about such things beforehand, so I know when I need to use less than mundane means to make sure my Employees are doing their Jobs as they should.¡± She replied, taking a short pause as a waiter came in with a large bottle of sake. And with how the moisture condensed into fat droplets all over it, it clearly was well chilled. ¡°Thank you.¡± she said to the waiter as he placed a cup before each of them. While picking her explanation back up, she kept glancing from Kurt to the bottle. ¡°Just this week I caught her twice trying to use some pretty basic illusions to hide how she was overworking herself again.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s not good.¡± Eva replied, tilting her head a bit as she began to think. ¡°So what do you want me to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Would you please just inform me about her progress once in a while? Here, have my card for that.¡± She said before pulling out a small business card and sliding it across the table. ¡°And Kurt, at meetings like these, isn¡¯t it customary for the one with the least standing in the group to at least fill the drinks of the others.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well yes.¡± Kurt began to mumble. ¡°But Eva¡¯s both younger than me and-¡± He managed to cut himself off just as he was about to put both his feet in his mouth.


    ¡°And what?¡± The two ladies at the table inquired sharply.


    ¡°And not a member of your family.¡± he managed to squeeze out while under their heavy gazes.


    ¡°Well she is also divinity, if not by birth then by office and duty.¡± Loki countered, once again looking from Kurt to the bottle.


    Relenting finally, Kurt filled each of their cups.


    ¡°Thank you dear. Now have you had a chance to study the menu online before coming here? If not I¡¯ll call the waiter back in with some menus.¡± She said before turning to the window and making a shooing motion with her hand under the table.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 6

    The following monday Kurt and Eva had met up to grab lunch together.


    ¡°Say Eva,¡± Kurt began as they turned the last corner on their way to a well recommended ramen shop, ¡°does Karasuza have a phone by now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she got a cheap used one last time she came to hang out.¡± Eva answered before licking her lips, the smell of the broth already teasing her nose.


    ¡°Mind giving me her number?¡±


    ¡°Why? You want to cheat on your Girlfriend?¡± The kitsune teased him, and actually let out a chuckle as he turned red over it.


    ¡°I just wanted to be able to chat to her sometimes. For research and stuff you know.¡± Kurt began to explain. ¡°After all, she¡¯s quite used to living in a much more rural part of Japan.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was just a little joke.¡± Eva said with a shake of her head. Pulling out her phone, she quickly sent him her contact information. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, now let''s see what¡¯s smelling so good.¡± Kurt said as he opened the door to the ramen shop for her.


    ~~~


    Karasuza was sitting on a rather unassuming powerline, panting as much as her little raven body allowed. She¡¯d been so excited that Kurt had asked for her help, she¡¯d taken of in a rush the moment he¡¯d hung up the phone.


    ¡®Should have asked Eva to go get me at one of the shrines around dad¡¯s place¡¯ She quietly thought to herself as her breathing slowly calmed down. Giving a tiny silent birdy sigh her thoughts wander on ¡®Then again, Kurt did ask me not to let Eva know about this for the lil Tanuki¡¯s sake.¡¯


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    Lost in thought like that, she had completely missed Touya leaving the 7/11 he¡¯d gone to, and just barely caught him turning into a side street to walk home.


    Quickly taking off she began to follow after him, keeping an eye out for her actual targets.


    It took a while, they were about halfway to the Tanuki¡¯s home, but the hoodlums Kurt had mentioned finally made their appearance. They started with just calling things out after him she was too far away to hear. But once they caught up to him they began to shove him around.


    They went at this for a few minutes, before one grabbed the bag of groceries Touya had been carrying. They tossed it between themselves for another handful of minutes, before they finally seemed to get bored and one of them hurled it at Touya¡¯s face.


    As much as she wanted to go and comfort her friend, Kurt had asked her to keep an eye on the assholes for the rest of the day. And she was not going to disappoint him.


    So instead she followed after the trio discreetly. Not that any of them seemed to be interested in any of the birds flying around this cold late november day. They did spend most of their day harassing teens in a similar fashion to Touya, but the moment someone looking tougher or older than them turned up, they quickly hid away.


    The last incident she actually watched was them stopping and harassing a little girl. Probably barely into elementary school. When the idiot holding the bag they took from her got the idea to toss towards the nearby river, Karasuza needed to do something, doing what the werewolf asked for quickly dropping down in her list of priorities.


    Diving as fast as she could manage, she quickly caught up with the bag. With a quick beat of her wings and drawing a bit on the magic inherited from her father, she managed to tackle the bag hard enough it landed on the banks instead of in the water. Turning into her human form, she picked the bag up and began to make her way up to the street. Once she got there, she only saw the girl, crying her eyes out.


    ¡°Hey there, is that yours? I caught it before it dropped into the river.¡±


    ¡°Tha-tha¡± the girl began trying to say through her sobbing, before taking an unsteady breath. ¡°Thank you Miss.¡± she then managed to say as she accepted the bag back, giving Karasuza a cute little bow.


    ¡°No worries, now hurry home.¡± Karasuza said, which the girl agreed to with a nod before hurrying off.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care what Kurt wants to do, these Assholes are going down.¡¯

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 7

    It had taken Karasuza another two days of watching these assholes, but now she was very confident they were actually living in an old, seemingly abandoned house nestled between some warehouses. It was in noticeably bad shape, even just from a cursory look at the outside. Most windows were missing and shoddily repaired by nailing some wooden boards over them from the inside. The paint on the walls had begun to peel off in many places, revealing rotting patches of wood.


    ¡®Quite fitting.¡¯ Karasuza thought to herself as she waited for them to leave for another day of terrorizing the neighborhood. ¡®That those rotten to the core should find nothing but a rotten old house to stay in.¡¯


    When they had finally left, while she would have liked to follow them in case they tried to ruin someone''s belongings again, the half-Tengu instead made her way into their home through one of the broken windows on the upper floor. And as it turned out, the inside of this ruin was in even worse shape. Most of the floor had broken down, leaving piles of rotting wood below them. The walls too were mostly gone, with just some flimsy wooden poles holding up the roof. At least for now.


    Deciding not to risk the three quarters of a staircase that was left, Karasuza instead flew down through one of the holes to take a look around the ground floor. Which was marginally less bad off than the floor above. The Tanuki had clearly tried to patch the interior walls here up with whatever large pieces of cardboard, scrap metal or wood they could get their hands on, splitting this floor into 4 roughly equal rooms. The entryway, which had a large burn mark where they presumably lit a fire to stay warm at night, was rather barren outside of some piles of scrap wood. The three separate rooms were quite a different story though. The first had a pile of blankets surrounded by empty cans. The second she didn¡¯t even dare to look inside after her nose was violated by the vile odor of rotting fruit and fish. The third had the whole floor covered with junk food packaging, a blanket half covering a large pile of it.


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    Not seeing anything of importance they left behind, nor willing to be exposed to all the mold on the walls and ceiling any longer than necessary, Karasuza quickly left the way she came. Thinking on how to best make sure these ruffians were dealt with, she quickly discarded asking her father for help. He¡¯d just chop off their hands or string them up. And while they definitely were scum, they didn¡¯t deserve that just yet. She was more interested in simply making them fear for their lives and driving them off.


    ¡®Maybe if I bring in Eva and Yukiko and we just bring this ruin down in front of them.¡¯ She pondered while catching an updraft to carry her up to the roof of one of the warehouses. Kurt''s request to not involve the others long since forgotten. ¡®At least that would mean they¡¯d need a new place to sleep.¡¯


    Making a note of the street names so she could explain where this place was in a way her non-avian friends could comprehend, she took off from the roof again.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 8

    ¡°Can you repeat that again? I must have misheard you.¡± Eva asked Karasuza. The two, as well as Yukiko, were sitting in a park not too far from the shrine.


    ¡°It sounded like you wanted our help in demolishing an abandoned building to punish some thugs.¡± The young Yuki-Onna carried on for the Kitsune.


    ¡°Yes. If we tore down the ruin they sleep at, they will need to move on and not harass the people around us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Eva began to counter, ¡°they run some elderly person out of their home and take that over and carry on just as before.¡±


    ¡°And even then,¡± Yukiko amended, her stern gaze drilling into the angry girl¡¯s eyes, ¡°they¡¯ll just endanger someone else.¡±


    ¡°But we got to do something about them!¡± Karasuza grumbled, hands slowly forming fists.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just report them to the police?¡± Eva suggested with a sigh. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t dealing with this sort of hoodlum be their job?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.'''' The youngest of the three began with a frost filled sigh. ¡°Yes they should deal with this. But making them lock up idiots like what Karasuza wants us to deal with is just gonna cause more trouble for youkai all over japan. One bad idea of those three Tanuki caught on camera and all of Japan will know we still exist.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I see.¡± The German grumbled, ¡°So we do have to deal with them ourselves.¡± Soon a relative silence fell over them. Karasuza was still quietly grumbling about her idea of ¡®appropriate punishment¡¯. But the Yuki-Onna and Kitsune were both thinking hard about what they could do about this.


    ¡°Say Karasuza, how  much room does that remote temple of your dad have?¡± Yukiko suddenly asked after an idea had occurred to her.


    ¡°Quite a lot really. Not that much of it is used, why?¡±


    ¡°Well, from how you rant about him from time to time,¡± the youngest of the three began to explain, her face already filled with schadenfreude, ¡°He sounds like a very capable, but even sterner taskmaster.¡±


    ¡°Yes, which is why I tried to run away from him.¡± the half-tanuki replied, very confused. ¡°But what does my father being an ass have to do with these three Tanuki?¡±


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    ¡°Well, how about we drop them with him to straighten them out?¡±


    ¡°If you could get those bastards there, sure.¡± Karasuaz replied with a shrug. ¡°But I doubt they¡¯ll just let us drag them there.¡±


    ¡°But what if we make them want to go there?¡± Eva suggested, drawing the other two forward into a  conspiratorial huddle. ¡°Here¡¯s what we are going to do.¡±


    ~~~


    Late that night, three Tanuki were ripped from the soft calm embrace of sleep, by a reverberating twang. By the time their heads had risen from their pillows of garbage and rotten wood, the air vibrated with the next two notes of an eerily slow and cold melody.


    And with the next the temperature in their hut plummeted to match the tone of the melody haunting them.


    Another and the walls were covered in a thin layer of ice, causing the three Tanuki frozen in fear to sprint towards the front door.


    But just as they entered the main corridor, they froze in fear. Floating just off the ground was the ephemeral form of a Kami. For no mere Kitsune could fill the air around them with such an oppressive aura of divine fury. Especially with their face hidden behind a wooden mask.


    One more note played by the still unseen Instrument caused a wall of ice to creep from the ceiling to the floor just behind the three hoodlums.


    ¡°You.¡± The Kami rumbled through the hallway, ¡°You have tormented my worshipers for too long.¡±


    As fire sprang to life in the ephemeral hands of the terrifyingly beautiful female floating above them, one of the Tanuki found the courage, or stupidity, to speak up. ¡°Did that little sissy dressing up as a miko finally come crying to mommy huh?¡±


    When flames began to dance at the tips of the Kami¡¯s fox tails, the music began to take a faster, more aggressive turn.


    With the ghostly blue flames¡¯ light reflected off the now fully frozen walls, even the most stupid of the three Tanuki was cowed back into silence, before one of the flames found its way underneath his most prized possessions. But cowed as he was, even the burning pain managed to elicit more than a whimper from him.


    ¡°If you do not want me to roast you alive like the vermin you are,¡± The kami demanded, ¡°You will follow my servant to the mountains, where you will do penance under my chosen Taskmaster.¡±


    After getting just three meek nods in reply, the kami dispelled the flame beneath the Tanuki. With a wave of her tail, the ice blocking the entrance parted like a curtain, revealing the waiting form of a black haired miko.


    As they passed underneath her, the Kami¡¯s form began to fade, but she left the Tanuki with some final parting words. ¡°I will know if you tried to run off again, and I will punish you for it.¡±


    Once the Tanuki were well out of view, the ice filling the building began to flicker like a mirage and slowly fade from view.

 The 8th Delivery: Chapter 9

    The next afternoon, Touya was launching on one of the seating cushions strewn across his room, engrossed in this week''s issue of his favorite shonen magazine. A soft knock on his door drew his attention away from the story he was reading, and prompted him to reply with a simple ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door to his room was carefully slid open by the now revealed Yukiko. She was wearing one of her more casual kimono, albeit slightly ruffled. Also hanging from a repurposed guitar strap was her Shamisen.


    ¡°Oh hello Yukiko.¡± Touya greeted her as he put his magazine down. ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked as she quietly closed the door behind her.


    ¡°You do know you can talk with me about anything right?¡± She asked as she kneeled down on one of his spare cushions. The Yuki-Onna then carefully laid her instrument on the ground next to her. ¡°No matter how stupid or serious it might seem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I do.¡± Touya said evasively, finding the Shamisen had suddenly become much more interesting to look at than his friend.


    ¡°Are you?¡± She probed him carefully. ¡°No recent troubles that you been keeping to yourself?¡±


    ¡°None worth mentioning, no.¡± He said with a soft shake of his head.


    ¡°And what about those not worth mentioning?¡± Yukiko continued to drill him. Unseen by the Tanuki, a slight frown had begun to creep onto her lips.


    ¡°No.¡± Touya replied hastily, trying his best to sound confident.


    ¡°So then why did three genuine assholes terrorizing our neighborhood imply you would snitch on them to Eva?¡± Yukiko snapped at him. With the Tanuki more than a little surprised at that, she pushed on. ¡°I would wonder if you were in cahoots with them, if they hadn¡¯t insuled you in the same breath. And if these kinds of people think they did you wrong enough to call down the wrath of the Kami on them, HOW IS THAT NOT WORTH MENTIONING!¡±


    ¡°I what how¡± Touya finally managed to mumble, settling to focus on the last for now. ¡°How did you even find out? I told Kurt not to let you or Eva know!¡±


    ¡°Oh so the random German you met a few months ago is allowed to learn about your problems.¡± Yukiko snipped, voice growing cold and filled with anger. ¡°But not me? How long have we known each other by now? Two years? Three?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s well you know..¡±


    ¡°No I do not know.¡± The cold controlling teen countered. ¡°After all you told Kurt not ME.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Because you would just have gotten angry at me or made fun of me.¡± Touya whined, finally shrinking in on himself in his frustration.


    ¡°WHY. What were you doing with them that would be that bad?¡±


    Carefully looking up at the tear stained face of his friend, Touya thought he finally understood why Yukiko was getting so worked up. Taking a deep breath, he finally began to spill. ¡°There¡¯s some Tanuki that began to hang out around here recently. And when they figured out I turned into a girl for a lot of the day to work here at the temple, they decided that it would be hilarious to harass me about it every chance they got.¡±


    ¡°And why did you think you couldn¡¯t tell us?¡±


    ¡°Because, Because¡± He took a deep breath to steel himself for the inevitable wrath that would come his way after the next words left his mouth. ¡°becauseIagreewiththemtoanextent.¡±


    ¡°Okay, can you please go again. And slower this time please?¡±


    ¡°Well they weren¡¯t wrong. I I¡¯ve been sick of having to pretend to be a girl all day long.¡± To avoid the clearly inevitable litany of how dare he imply being a girl is bad or something, Touya quickly turned into a steel ingot.


    ¡°Have you talked with old Komaki about this?¡± Yukiko inquired. Patiently waiting for the Tanuki to transform into something with the ability to reply.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Touya finally replied after transforming into a metal statue of a tiny fox. ¡°But he said I should just toughen up and deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah that sounds like him.¡± Yukiko said with an attempted sage nod. Which was not quite believable with the tear tracks on her cheeks. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you ask me or Eva for help? I am sure we could have dealt with this. Both talking the old tree spirit around and getting rid of the Tanukis.¡±


    ¡°I assumed you¡¯d just accuse me of thinking there¡¯s something wrong with with being a girl and get pissed off.¡±


    ¡°Do you actually think there¡¯s something wrong with being a girl?¡± Yukiko asked carefully. ¡°Well outside of being forced to be one.¡±


    ¡°No, why would I?¡±


    ¡°So why did you think that would be my first assumption?¡±


    ¡°Well I you know it¡¯s that¡± he began to mumble, carefully pushing his shonen magazine behind him.


    Shaking her head, Yukiko decided to change the topic a bit. ¡°So how about we go get some yakitori and figure out how to convince that old priest he¡¯s stupid and wrong here?¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t mind I dislike transforming into a girl?¡± He asked carefully as he changed back to his usual human form.


    ¡°No, why would I?¡± Yukiko countered as she got up. ¡°I am sure I¡¯d get sick of having to pretend to be a boy over time as well. Doesn¡¯t mean I have an issue with you, or boys in general.¡±


    Getting up as well, Touya hurried after Yukiko, pulling a handkerchief from his pant¡¯s pocket for the Yuki-Onna, to dry her tears before her cheeks iced over.


    ¡°So how did you find out if Kurt didn¡¯t tell you.¡± He asked as he handed the cloth over.


    Taking it with a smile, Yukiko began to explain as she dried her cheeks. ¡°Well after Karasuza ran into those Tanuki trying to ruin a young girl''s school things, she ¡­¡±