Make Me Believe...

[The Cinderella Man]

((Closed to Reiko. All bunnies approved by both participants.))


Victor Callahan was never a big fan of summertime, and that went double if that summer was occurring in the Tylmerande barony, the southmost region of Corone. The sun would heat up the dry sands and the bare rock to the point where you could fry a strip of bacon on either, making you sweat unstoppably even if you hid in the thick shades of the sporadic evergreen trees. On top of that, the folk in these southern regions had a tendency of being lazy and idiotic, working only during the so called season and then soaking their feet in the ocean for the remainder of the year. That was why the prizefighter generally evaded both the Tylmerande barony and its inhabitants, especially during the summer. The sea, the heat and the people were usually nothing but a huge thorn in his neck that caused nothing but agitation.

However, this time around, as the Donna’s Arrow – a three mast freighter - crawled towards the port of Serenti under the vehement summer sun, Victor Callahan was a content, happy man.

The reason for his satisfaction wasn’t the sight of the shoreline though, despite its colorful landscape that seemed to stretch from one horizon to the other in all its beauty. The Tylmerande coast might’ve signified the return to his home away from home, but it was unable to instill any amount of sentiments into the man. And neither did seafaring. Victor, never a man with a sturdy pair of sea legs, sailed only when every other means of transportation ceased to be an option. There was something sinister in the vastness of the endless ocean, something haunting within the deep blue abyss that gazed at him from below, something that sooner disquieted him then brought him satisfaction. To add insult to injury, the Arrow was a merchant frigate, and its captain followed the course that led them everywhere but Corone until the very end. So instead of a week or so of sailing, they spent over a month onboard, moving from one port to the other, until they ultimately reached Corone.

And yet, despite all of that, Victor stood on the main deck with a smirk on his face.

The reason for this deviation in his foible was currently resting in the modest cabin back in the forecastle, had nine tails and was currently the most wonderful woman that Padre ever met. Doji was an odd character to say the least, a partially bestial vixen with history so complex that it made his head spin. But history didn’t matter. What mattered was that, after their little escapade in the town of Narkesh, Doji and Victor fell in love. Perhaps it was the desperation of the situation that bonded them together and sparked the passion that kept burning like a pyre, erasing the past and focusing them on the now. Or perhaps the whole adventure in the land of the birdpeople was just a catalyst that resurrected that peculiar seed of something that came to existence even farther down the path of history. Whatever it was, it was refusing to let them from its clutches, and Victor was endlessly thankful for that.

For a number of years now, he was a vagabond, with no bed to call his own but the one in the inns beside the road, and with nothing to keep him warm but the threadbare covers. It was a lonely existence, a disheartening game of survival that was restarted with every new sunrise. But now, with Doji, there was always warmth awaiting him amidst the sheets and, more importantly, on her face that always welcomed him with a smile. Neither of them was alone anymore, and if that wasn’t a good enough of a reason for the gloominess to go away, nothing ever would be.

That was why, despite all the negative factors in his proximity, there was no frown on Victor’s face today. He stood solemnly on the prow of the ship, his muscular figure attired in a simple sleeveless shirt and the usual denim trousers, as his eyes scoured the picturesque shoreline and imagining Doji scampering around in her scandalous swimsuit.

[Reiko]

The adventure was over and Ki had found love in the midst almost being killed in the village of Tengu. But still Ki just wasn’t sure how long the love would last; her older side had many relationships that weren’t meant to last. Ki just wasn’t sure whose fault it was for the failures though Inari was born and it wasn’t that much a failure.

Ki had trouble sleeping on the ship, she spent much time with Victor and having fun under the covers and then she was getting a little seasick and more than usual. Why was her belly being fairly delicate and she was still being hungry enough to eat. The reason was known in her heart. Sure the fox girl wasn’t in heat but somehow she knew that something special and that she had to speak with Vic.

Coming up on deck gave Ki two wonderful sights; land was close and no more than an hour from dock and her new lover was there, watching the horizon, something that she should do to keep the seasickness at bay.

“Hey Vic!” Doji called out with a smile and scampered next to the gunman. She smiled and placed her hand around his waist as well as her tails. “I um…” Ki stammered a little wanting to announce her condition, but all the sailors were there and it sorta made her a little shy. “I’m glad we’re almost to shore. I can’t wait to be on solid ground, maybe we could swim in a cove or a clear stream nearby.” The ronin girl changed the subject and kissed Victor once again.

Once they were alone then she could do it, there would be more meaning just between them and without the strangers. Also the rocking of the boat wouldn’t be getting to her. Still she wanted it off her chest, holding the secret made her heart beat fast and Ki would breath a little quicker than normal too. The sooner the better but Doji wanted to wait.

[The Cinderella Man]

She never ceased to amaze him. Being in love with Doji was like being in love with live fire. Sometimes she was steady and calm, acting in tune with the age of the older half of her duality, displaying the more conservative, more serious side of her demeanor. On other occasions – and Victor was particularly fond of them – she was restless and frolicky, a heedless lass with an almost childish behavior that reflected Inari almost to perfection. And there were also times when these two extremes merged into a hybrid flame that seemed to dance in sync with the wind of events that unfolded. But regardless of which Doji appeared before him, there was always one thing in common to all of the versions of her personality just as there was always one thing in common to all of the versions of fire; they were all so warm.

Today was no different. His multi-tailed lover came skittering towards him, her arm and her tails embracing him thoughtlessly, the way people in love always did without even noticing. It was such a seemingly unimportant expression of intimacy, such a simple touch, and yet it always evoked a fluttery feeling somewhere within Victor’s chest. His arm found its way around her shoulder, embracing her and leaning her body closer to his own gently as he listened to her speak. And he couldn’t help but smile; it seemed that they shared both the bedroll as well as a few cars of their trains of thought because he wasn’t the only one thinking about swimming and sunbathing.

“Well, you won’t hear me say no to that. I seem to remember a certain bathing attire you wore in Fallien. I think it was yellow...and blue,” Victor said, a teasing smile creeping at the edge of his lips. In truth, he was never an avid fan of water sports. He could swim just enough to keep himself from sinking like a rock and he found little enjoyment in this struggle for his very life. But there was something eerily attractive about a woman in a scant set of clothing, some exotism in those tiny pieces of fabric that concealed the taboo parts of a body, and the prizefighter wasn’t immune to it. “Besides, the day is perfect for some swimming. There’s little else to do in this heat.”

They kept their position on the stem of the Donna’s Arrow as the merchant ship sailed into the Serenti harbor, the captain navigating meticulously through the busy waters, evading the anchored frigates and fishermen’s minute boats with triangle sails. The crewmen seemed to be completely resilient to the heat, the bronze-haired sailors scurrying this way and that, manning ropes, tying up the sails, hanging and climbing like monkeys that spat curses that got integrated into their common speech. They were a motley crew – what ship crew wasn’t? – and perhaps not the best company for a long drag through most of the major ports of Althanas, but they got them to Corone in one piece and for that Victor and Doji were grateful.

Still, once the ship disembarked, they all seemed eager to part ways. The sailors had taverns and whorehouses to visit, captain had a family out in the outskirts of Serenti and even Doji seemed somewhat restless and anxious to break this temporary camaraderie with the crew of Donna’s Arrow. There was little surprise there. Regardless of how tolerant and friendly people were, at some point they all grew tired of staring at the same faces every single hour of the day. So, with all due respect to all those on board the ship, the companionship that weathered the sea storms and navigated through sharp reefs disbanded as soon as the cargo left the hold, leaving the couple on the docks with a hasty farewell.

The business of Serenti was neither greater nor smaller then the last time Victor scoured these docks. Not so long ago, he too was one of the dockhands, offloading the fish, the shells, the crabs, the sacks and pretty much everything else that emerged from the vast bellies of the docked ships. Today he was a bit luckier; there was a modest but sufficient amount of gold in his pockets and Doji was at his side, holding his hand as they made their way through the flurry of another workday. Neither of them had a clear direction as to where they should be going at this time – where their relationship should be going – but at this point ignorance was bliss and they seemed to enjoy the comfort it brought.

[Reiko]

Ki loved the way Vic got excited over seeing her in a bikini even though he knew her in a more intimate way. Though secretly Ki hoped she wouldn’t have to taunt the large man too much to get him to play but the fact he really liked the idea of finding a clean cove or stream was a good idea.

“Great, we can have a picnic of it.” Doji started to swish her tails as she led the way off the boat.

Oh how great it was to be off the boat, the fox girl would have kissed the earth but instead kissed Victor another time. This time she wouldn’t fail like Kit did with Leon. This time they’d be together and the father would see his child and know what he had made with the fox girl. Her Ronin life wasn’t going to ruin it.

The crowd was busy at the docks and so Doji had to practically dance with Vic to keep from crashing into some fisherman or trades girl who had more important business while going about her own and find a place that sold some good food. Another good thing about Vic was he didn’t want to control the situation sometimes and so she could choose the food.

Ki approached a middle aged and dark skinned woman, who shouted very load in several languages selling several foods. Her almond shaped eyes were that of Nihon and Shanleh, Ki was guessing the eastern part of both and that she specialized in food from Ki’s home. The vixen smiled at the woman, who returned the smile nervously. Kitsune weren’t the most trusted and nine tails were thought of as dangerous gods. But the food dealer had enough composure to no embarrass herself, which would be bad for business.

“What can I get you?” She asked Ki, a little nervous.

“Two, no four rice balls, some dried fish… um maybe some dried tako.” Doji thought she was done but then thought of her condition. “And pickles, definitely pickles.” Doji finished while wondering why pregnant women ordered pickles and why she did to. Must be that they were good for the baby, and she subconsciously knew it when she heard how women from home often ate pickles when with child. “That’s all.”

The dark merchant smiled and winked. “You seem excited, going to have a special day?”

“I’m just glad to be off the ship. Going to have a nice day with nature, so yeah I think it’ll be special.” Ki paid the woman and dragged Vic out of town and to a nearby cove that never knew the sounds of town and it had been awhile that any such sounds came, though Ki’s giggling changed that. “I’ll hide behind here and change, no peeking.”

Doji went behind a large bolder to obscure her form from Vic’s eyes as she removed the kimono and slowly put on her bikini and folded her kimono. Then came out to reveal herself to her new love. “How do I look?” Doji asked while striking a pose, and using her tails to accent her form.

The beach was nice and calm, a few seagulls flew about with little care for the kitsune and the human, not yet sure that the smell of food was coming from a little basket. A few scuttling crabs kept a weary distance from the pair, not sure if they were predators.

It was perfect to have this place to them selves. Ki went to the water and splashed a little, enjoying the cool and salty feel that she wished she could feel while on ship. “I bet you can’t catch me!” Doji called out then stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. She wanted to have fun and loosen up before telling the news.

[The Cinderella Man]

Cities were always Victor’s domain. Even though he was never overly fond of large companies and the noisy bustle that seemed to throb through the streets like blood, the prizefighter was somewhat of a city slicker ever since he was born. He grew up in Scara Brae, a majestic island metropolis, and the stone-clad environment simply crawled beneath his skin. But even though he usually felt at home as soon as his feet struck the cobbles and the landscape shifted to the mazelike pattern of the streets, today Victor found the heat of the busy Serenti streets rather disquieting. There were too many people loitering around, too many voices, too many eyes peering, and all he really wanted is to be selfish and keep Doji to himself. It was silly what love did to those caught in its web.

Luckily for the strangely anxious boxer, they soon departed from Serenti and exchanged the populated proximity with a much more private one. The cove was barely ten minutes of walk from the port town, and yet those ten minutes were an ample barrier that canceled out all distractions. Though vacant, the beach seemed to be more alive then any city ever could be. The rhythmic waves that splashed over the hot sand were like a heartbeat, and everything else seemed in tune with this azure pulse. The colorful flora prided itself with various shades of green, challenged only by the various specimens of fauna that pranced about and away of the two intruders. Birds with vibrant feathers, peculiar fish that swiveled in the translucent water, annoying crickets with their incessant sizzling, tall pines with their specific scent mixed with the saltiness of the sea...

And in the middle of this vivid imagery stood Doji, wearing that scandalous two-piece that elicited a wide smile on a face that was unsmiling for far too long. “You’re... even more beautiful then I remember,” Victor responded to her mirthful question. Looking at her perfect figure, at the curves of a body that he could touch and embrace, at the merry expression on her face, Victor Callahan for what was probably the first time in his entire life felt truly grateful for something. He knew that he didn’t deserve her, but that was old news - no man ever truly deserved all the facets of love that a woman could offer. And that only further enhanced his feelings towards her. She was giving him everything he never had, all those moments of joy and happiness that eluded him as if he was a leper.

He wanted nothing more then to snuggle her at that moment, and kiss her, and feel her body against his own, but the kitsune had other ideas. It seemed that Inari’s demeanor emerged on the surface again, sending the tailed vixen into the shoals and a challenge towards Victor. He knew for a fact that he couldn’t catch her; the furry woman was nimble enough to outrun him on any given day and twice on Sunday. But he also knew that she probably didn’t mean to run for too long, goading him into a game in which there were no losers. Still, the prizefighter’s aversion to the water made him reluctant to join her antics.

“Come on, slowpoke!” she lured him with a smile as her hands splashed through the water, sending a spray of salty water at the sitting boxer. When he still didn’t move, she pulled out a rather large piece of seaweed and threw at him playfully, the slimy projectile hitting him in the chest. Doji couldn’t stifle a giggle.

“Oh, you’re going to get it now,” Victor threatened her, maintaining a strict facial expression for only a moment before he got up and dashed towards the shoreline. His kitsune lover made a fake run for it, fleeing farther away from the shore until the water reached just below her breasts, but by then Vic was floundering through the knee-deep ocean. He was almost on top of her, his hands reaching to tackle her, but Doji managed to evade him at just the last moment, making him splash into the water face first. They proceeded to play cat and mouse, continually exchanging the roles, sneaking in salty kisses every time they caught each other. During those moments, they both seemed to have bits of Inari in them, bits of that inner child that evoked genuine mirth and printed it all over their faces. And in their happiness they were untouchable.

[Reiko]

Ki always seemed to have to experiment to get Vic involved in her playing in the water. Taunting, splashing, giggling, it didn’t work. But when a piece of seaweed brushed against her leg with a slimy tickle gave the vixen an idea. Sure it was rather gross but the slimy leaf when wadded up and thrown would be the perfect taunt, half the game was getting him to play.

And it work, they were splashing through the water and playing around with some quick kisses when one caught the other. This was the joy Doji was going for, have some fun with a person she was close to and Victor could have fun once he decided to. For most of it, the vixen had the advantage in being much quicker than the human. And while the water slowed her down it did the same to Vic. For the most part Victor would catch her due to luck or her letting him get in a tag and a kiss.

But then again Vic had more endurance than Ki and after a while of playing the nine tails was slowing down a little and Vic got his chance to catch her in a strong but gentle hug of victory and they had a deep kiss. It was like the kiss in the hot spring of Narkash and not just in the water. It showed that the pair seemed to have gotten the idea of a good kiss. But the difference here was instead of going further; Ki broke the kiss and giggled while heading towards the shore, getting sand on her feet and some unlucky tails that brushed against the sand. Once at the small patch of grass where she wouldn’t get sand stuck to her butt, she sat down and grabbed a rice ball from the basket and started eating while patting the grass to Invite Vic. “I have something to tell you.” She said in between bites and swallows wouldn’t be good to reveal you’re pregnant with you mouth full.

Ki realized she was going to miss playing like that when her belly started to swell and the child was growing. And then there was the fact that Victor might not play with her like that when he knew that she carried their child. But in the end it would only be temporary, the birth would happen and then she could play like this again, and have a child to join in as well.

Ki thought a little more while finishing the rice ball and smiled at Vic, looking into his eyes to summon courage to say it. No more waiting, say it. “Vic…” Ki choked again, this time she wondered what he would say. Would he hate her? Would it scare him to have the responsibilities that a child brings? No he has to know now.

“Vic… I’m pregnant.” There she said it, now he knows. Ki felt a little better but she was still worried. “I… hope you don’t hate me now… I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to share that night with you.” Ki was really worried, she looked towards the sky in hopes to calm down, just watch the clouds drift by, painting their strange pictures as she waited for Victor to react.

[The Cinderella Man]

Victor just started munching on one of the strange edible balls made of cooked rice when the news struck him like a haymaker on an undefended face. The surprise forced an instinctive swallow that sent a good chunk of the rice ball down the wrong way, bringing forth a violent, dry cough that fought to force the food out of his windpipe. It took almost a minute and several pats on his back to finally succeed in retrieving the renegade rice and send it down his esophagus and by then Doji seemed troubled by his reaction to the shocking news.

“Are you certain?” the prizefighter asked, still short of breath and wiping his mouth. She nodded coyly, looking at him with concern in those lilac eyes of her, looking at him as if she had done something wrong. Looking at him as if it was her fault when it really wasn’t. It wasn’t a fault at all the way Victor saw it. That night back in Narkesh they both finally allowed their affections to step forth and make themselves officially known. Up until then, Doji and Victor were just friends that exchanged kind words and peculiar looks. But that night their relationship transcended to a new level, the most intimate level that it could transcend to. It was a night interwoven with love and passion that had been concealed for far too long, and if a product of that love was growing in Doji’s womb, then it couldn’t be a mistake. On the contrary, it was a clear sign that they did everything right.

His face was a mystery for a while longer, his eyes looking into her own and finding their doubt almost too severe to handle. His large hands found hers, encompassing them as gently as if she was made of glass. His feelings on the matter could be read from his eyes, but just in case she couldn’t decipher his looks yet, his lips stretched into a wide smile. “Doji, that’s... that’s wonderful!” Victor said, trying and failing to control the emotions that seemed to pour over him in waves. He kissed her once, deeply, with all the affection in his body, before he embraced her body and sent them both rolling and laughing over the grass carpet. When they finally stopped the dizzying motion, she was sitting on top of him, her blushed face decorated with a relieved smile. He took both of her hands and brought them to his lips for a caress.

“Why would you ever think I would hate you because of that?! I love you, Doji. And this is simply... amazing! You are amazing,” he spoke, words stumbling out of his mouth the way they always did when he was excited, and there was little doubt that he was excited. His heart was a manic engine, beating at such a rapid face that he felt as if it was climbing up into his throat, making him feel as if he was going to faint. But he wasn’t going to, not now, not when the woman he loved told him that they were going to have a child. Regardless of what he had done in his life, there was always one thing that he ever really strived for, one simple thing that seemed unobtainable, his own personal unicorn. To have a family. It seemed so simple, something that so many people had, something so many tried to escape from, and yet something he wanted more then anything. And now, with Doji, he had a chance at actually achieving his dream.

Despite not being the most emotional man ever, the prizefighter couldn’t stifle a tear that escaped at a corner of his eyes. He did his best to conceal it though, embracing his kitsune lover once again and rolling them once again just enough for them to switch positions. He looked down towards her, at this woman that was nothing but a memory less then two months ago, at this woman that was about to become a mother to his child, and it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Victor didn’t know if pregnancy truly made women look more beautiful or was it just a fable and it was the eyes of the beholder that changed, seeing the woman in a different manner, and frankly he didn’t care. Whatever it was, it made him kiss her again, her lips, her neck, his lips passing down between her breasts in order to reach her stomach and caress it. She giggled at his touch, her mirth returning more and more with each touch, her tails dancing happily.

“Gods, I think we have some planning to do,” the boxer said once his lips retraced their way to her face and they looked each other eye to eye. And in that glance it became clear that happiness that seemed to culminate during their water antics just elevated itself even further.

[Reiko]

It couldn’t have gone better, Ki was rather relieved that Vic took the news well, actually it seemed like she had made the prizefighter ecstatic with the news of her pregnancy. Heck it put him in a mood to play without her goading or taunting as he rolled the pair down the grassy hill, stopping for a moment with her on top and then again with her on the bottom and Vic kissing her body all the way down to her belly.

“That tickles!” Ki giggled a bit, and smiled as he talked about planning. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of time to plan. I bet the biggest problem is going to be passing the time when my belly gets big.” Doji smiled and guided Vic back up to kiss her mouth so their lips and tongues could mingle in the language of lovers.

This was the perfect place to give the news, the sea and birds would not judge the pair and nor would they gossip. It was a peaceful place that ignored the interspecies love affair and the lovers were too wrapped up in each other to care.

Even though Ki was with child, all the playing would still get her worked up and the heat worked through her heart, belly and finally to her lower region. The vixen started to feel that maybe the act that led her to becoming pregnant would be good to celebrate it. It was an act of their love, proving they loved each other and deepening their love. The ronin girl smiled as she snaked out of Victor’s gentle and giggled once she was free.

“Let’s not worry right now. All that matters is we love each other.” Ki looked at Victor in the eyes with a warm smile, as her hands untied and removed her bikini top and she slid out of the bottom as well before Pouncing on Vic.

Right now she didn’t want to think about the future, here and now was all Ki wanted to worry about. There would be plenty of time to worry about birthing and raising her child. And since one half of Ki was a mother before the fusion then there was some experience.

[The Cinderella Man]

In the sunny idyll of the tropical cove, Doji and Victor celebrated their infatuation and the conception of their child with another session of lovemaking. It was a different experience then back in Narkesh. They were both reluctant back then, unfamiliar with each other, tiptoeing in each other’s arms, afraid to make misstep and ruin the magic of the moment. But now they weren’t strangers anymore. They were lovers, on route to become parents, and even thought they were still far from knowing all of each other’s quirks and traits, they knew each other enough to let loose of some inhibitions. It was an afternoon of both gentleness and ferocity, an afternoon filled with laughter and moans and salty kisses, an afternoon when their bodies made an unspoken promise of love. Time ceased to exist. The beach ceased to exist. And there was nothing but the two of them, clinging to the world filled with passion.

The sun had already sunk into the deep purple of the far away place where the sea touched the sky by the time exhaustion and utter satisfaction succeeded in knocking the pair out of the real world and into slumber. They slept in each other’s arm, ignorant to the fact that they were in the wilderness, naked as the day they were born. Only when a breeze came up from the sea and swept over them like a cold satin blanket was Victor roused from sleep. It wasn’t too cold – it never was in the south at this time of the year – but the lack of clothes combined with the gentle wind sent a mild chill over their bodies. He picked up his leather overcoat, but spared a moment to look at Doji’s magnificent body. Under the light of the moon, her fair skin was even fairer, almost like alabaster smoothed to perfection. It was a sight he would never grow weary off. Still, health was more important then ogling right now, especially since there were now two people he had to take care off.

That’s when the worry hit him.

Doji said that now wasn’t time for planning or deliberating or heavy thoughts, but that wasn’t like Victor operated. Below the usually phlegmatic exterior, the boxer was constantly wrestling major concerns. He tossed these hot coals from one hand to the other until there were so many that he looked like a mummer. He seldom actually got any answers to the questions he asked himself, but that didn’t stop him from doing it again and again and again. Just like he did now.

Covering the kitsune with his coat, Victor did his best to put his pants on as silently as his limited legerity allowed him. He needed to clear his head, to think this through, to come up with a plan for the two... No, three of them. He moved away from Doji stealthily, his bare feet making little noise as he made his way to the shoreline. The waves were incessant in their abrasion of the shore, and under the argent moonlight they were twice as beautiful, Victor thought. But twice as haunting as well. In the darkness of the night, the sea became an abyss sprinkled with the reflections of the starry dome. The sloshing of the waves wasn’t the only thing ruining the silence of the night though. The crickets were almost as loud, rubbing their hind legs, hidden in the nearby underbrush.

Still, the calmness of the shore was undisputable with the monotony of its sounds and the dim silvery shade that the night’s painter – the moon – spread across the landscape. Victor seemed to fit right in, his muscular figure sitting on one of the boulders, his feet splashed by the waves, his eyes fixed on the invisible horizon. He didn’t see it though. All that the prizefighter saw were questions and obstacles and problems, as if somebody took out all the enthusiasm and mirth out of him and replaced it with doubt and concern and reality. Reality that told him that, regardless of this little news, he was still a bum, a prizefighter that could barely scrape enough shinnies to support himself. Not to mention that he was a homeless bum. Starting a family without a home is like starting to build a house on sand; it was only a matter of time before the wind would blow it away.

With worry painted all over his frowning face, Victor Callahan sat alone in the night, trying to untangle this Gordian knot that life threw in his lap.