What's in a Name?

[Artifex Felicis]

((Closed unless otherwise stated.))

There was something to e said about just how much funny Corone's marketplaces could be. Especially the markets that didn't have much to do with weaponry and armor. When one got off of those large roads, they found Leon's favorite parts. Everything was in the air, the warm winds from bakers, the hot fresh smell of bread, men and women bargaining for a new deal, birds chirping as they waited in small cages to be sold and the general laughter and happiness of the streets. It was no different now. It seemed every week when these lanes opened it was completely different from any other time, yet exactly the same in another way. The law against violence during and in the market was hardly ever enforced, nor was it needed. The most violence the cat boy ever saw were two cats fighting over a large fish one of the people dropped.

"Hey Leon," his friend Pat said aloud over the loud mumbling of the crowd. Leon turned smiling at the older man as he stepped aside to let a large dark skinned man go by. Leon's friend was the bartender of one of the smaller taverns around the marketplace. Despite his larger size, the man was friendly and almost delicate in how he spoke and acted. Leon worked for him as a bouncer several times, mostly keeping things down for a place to sleep and some food. "Thanks for helping out with the stuff for my wife, I owe you one man. Especially for lending me some gold. Money's been too tight lately"

"It's fine, figure you need it more than I do for now," the cat boy replied. The two kept walking, Leon's friend holding a large bag filled with food. The cat boy moved ahead, acting like the front of the boat, moving aside the water for the rest of the boat could slip by. He smiled mischievously for a moment, looking back at his friend. "Least you got lucky marrying Ms. Right. Too bad her first name's Always." They both laughed for a moment, moving further into the crowd and toward the end. "Don't worry about paying me back either, you already had to pay for the marriage ring and engagement one. Figure I might as well chip in to help with the suffer ring."

The two laughed loudly, mostly at the inside joke between the two. Pat's wife was probably one of the nicest women Leo n had ever met, but it still didn't stop him from poking fun at the older man. They were guy jokes, and nothing serious was meant from them. Especially since it was often Pat who started them, and often ended with Leon ending them. Still, every once in a while the two would come across some woman, or even a guy one memorable occasion, who would tell them off for them. This ended with the two in fits of laughter after word, content in their little joke. It looked like today was one of those days. The two bantered back and forth, Pat making fun of Leon's single status and Leon's ammo supply consisting of Pat's marriage.

"Hey, how would you like to be on the receiving end?" a sharp voice said to Leon. A hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him around and face to face with a middle aged woman. The cat boy smiled sheepishly, a rather cheeky answer coming out of his mouth. He gestured to Pat, giving him the opportunity to escape the woman while she stood almost flabbergasted at Leon. He smiled widely, saying good bye and turning around as Pat would have probably made it back to his tavern. It would probably be fine for the cat boy. It wasn't like she'd attack him, though the evil grin that spread across her features. "Fine, let's see how you deal with it," she said before pushing Leon in the chest. He stumbled, though didn't fall. When he look around after regaining his balance she was gone. He contemplated going after her, but decided against it. The cat boy was hungry, and Pat has just bought enough food for a while. Might as well time to go and mooch off of him.

[Reiko]

Oh, sometimes it’s so good to get away from responsibilities of motherhood. Ki had gone all the way to Radasanth while leaving the twins back at the den with the animal servants. Finally she had gotten her fox magic strong enough to make an illusionary Den where to those who lived there, it was as good as any house and the animals were good servants, though mostly because of the fact foxes often ate their servants if something went wrong. So Doji was sure the twins would be all right and she would be sure to have a surprise for them when she got back.

But worrying about presents was the last thing to be on Ki’s mind, today was a day for her and she was going to enjoy it. The nine tails swished with anticipation for the day as the vixen walked and planned her day. First would be to stroll around the city, then she might browse the various weapons and maybe buy some arrows, then she’d buy a toy for Chiyo and Ryo then maybe buy something for dinner, then perhaps trounce some fool at the citadel. Maybe the last wouldn’t be a good idea, using a sword for such a petty fight would be a waste of time and effort. Though a job couldn’t hurt, she could use the money.

Still just being in the city and not have to worry about the two Kits is a good thing and it was fun to watch all the people live their lives. The girl clothes shopping and arguing about the tailors making her look fat, the mercs that would overpay for a crumby sword, the dwarves that would drink and sing all day. It was Radasanth alright and Ki just loved the place.

But one thing went above the din of the city, a voice of an old lover, well part old lover and part father, merging together was something that led to awkward moments. Still it might be best to say ‘hi.’ But then again it might just make his life awkward.

Ki wasn’t sure and then there was the problem that she misheard the voice and was mistaken. Ki had made mistakes before and Leon wasn’t one of her children so the rule that the mother could pin point a cry of her children even if there were a hundred children was moot. Doji smiled a little and looked for the voice, really it would be nice to see him again.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat boy moved with a spring on his step, nearly all thoughts of the strange feminist woman stricken from his mind. The grin from actually annoying someone successfully was still on his face however. It was a weird little pleasure that he had, mostly in a job well done. He explored some of the shops that were near him and towards the end of the lane. His stomach was growling loudly, and he still had a couple of gold coins. It didn't help that the delicious scent of cooked meat was beginning to waft from a stall near him.

He moved almost magnetically towards it, noticing the strange way it was assembled. The stall was larger than the average bread sellers, though deservedly so because of the fire and strange metal grill over the top of it. Leon was skeptical if it could cook, but the smell was too good to be true. He handed over a handful of coins, simply saying he wanted a larger slab of the delicious meat. It took a few minutes, as a brand new piece was placed onto the hot grill as Leon waited, hitching his pants from falling. They began a slow slide down again, leading to an inner promise for the boy to get a belt sometime in the future.

He could hear the meat sizzling as he watched, licking his lips in anticipation. The meat darkened under the boy's eyes, though it seemed to take forever. When it was finished, the same merchant put it between a large slice of bread and handed it to the boy, bidding him a good day. Leon didn't waste a moment, quickly biting into his lunch, savoring the taste before quickly finishing it. The rest of the bread that he remained he dropped onto the ground. He was never a fan of bread, and really only wanted to have the meat.

The day was perfect, but something began to strike out as incredibly odd to the cat boy. wave of paranoia seemed to wash over him, and he looked around, suddenly aware of his shortness, as well as how he couldn't see much beyond the people immediately around him. He hitched up his pants again, then decided to simple keep moving. The end of the lane was more of a break than the end. The market continued, but the break was like a large side street that people could enter and leave. He squeezed through the crowd without much difficulty, then took off like a rocket, tripping over the hem of the pants and falling with a dull thread.

On one hand, it was lucky for the cat boy to have fallen there, as there wasn't anyone to step on him. On the other hand, he could feel several sets of eyes on his rear, as well as the more tangible breeze that signified just how far his pants fell. He scurried up, holding the hem and running into the crowd again, his face beet red. His mind drifted back to the strange woman during the quick escape. It was a fleeting thought before he ran into someone while he wasn't paying attention.

[Reiko]

The nine tails twitched her tails, as she looked around, no that voice must not have been Leon. The sizable crowd had no cat boys at all by the way it looked and smelled. No Leon could not be there… No wait… The nine tails caught a scent that was familiar to the neko she knew so well.

Then it hit her and literally. A body collided and sent the vixen staggering backwards slightly though thankfully not falling. The smell was coming from a cute blue haired catgirl. She seemed to resemble Leon in certain ways, the hair was really close and so were the eyes, but the build was leaner and more feminine. That was all wrong.

A couple of note of the clothing was the shirt was really baggy, though the breast was noticeable and then there were the pants that were practically falling off and causing Doji to snicker and several perverts to glance in hopes at getting a peek at her butt. There was no way that these clothes were meant for the girl; even the dumbest style wasn’t that dumb. “Oh, hey. I’m sorry about that. I need to look where I’m going.” The vixen apologized, even though she didn’t have too. But the kitty seemed so embarrassed and Doji couldn’t help but feel for her. “Hey, I have a good idea, come with me!” Ki suggested with girlish energy from Inari’s side while making it more a command as she dragged the neko girl into an alleyway using some illusion to create a fake mirror of the pair to distract any followers.

“No offense, but your clothing just doesn’t suit you.” Ki said trying to hold a giggle. “I know we just met but maybe we could go clothes shopping together.” Doji liked shopping when it was stress free, being able to spend money was something that was special to her, though being a ronin made money tight, at least she had a roof over her head now.

But still shopping meant they would have to go out and her new friend would still have trouble if she wore that getup. But it was nothing for the fox girl; her fox magic could make a simple dress in a snap. With a little concentration a simple Yukata appeared and Ki waged all nine of her tails as she handed it to the cat girl. “Here we won’t get as much attention if you wear this. Oh yeah, my name’s Doji Ki, what’s yours?”

[Artifex Felicis]

Leon stumbled after running into whoever it was, thankfully not connecting his skull into his unintentional target. He feel back, off balance and landing hard on the ground, his tail, for some reason much lighter than normal, already raised high enough to prevent any damage. He groaned, for the first time noticing that something was wrong. He was very used to his voice, especially having listened to it for as long as he could remember. He knew what he sounded like, and what escaped his mouth was softer, and far more feminine. He looked down, suppressing a gulp as he began to slowly piece together what was happening.

He stood quickly, still a bit off balance but otherwise alright. He had only just noticed the weight on his chest, and over emphasized it, unsure of how to walk or even stand well. A bright red blush covered his face, and his couldn't find his voice as he realized he bbumped into a kitsune with nine tails. Part of the embarrassment was from his situation, since he was almost sure of what happened, but most of it came from annoying the powerful creature in front of him. It was, in all honesty, the first time he had ever seen a nine tails in his life, the rest of his knowledge coming from rumor, word of mouth and general gossip.

He didn't have much opportunity though, and he was pulled into the alleyway, catching the nine tails' words about a good idea. They dashed for a minute, his feet finding the ground after a moment or two. They were a safe distance into the ally when they stopped, with the nine tails' in between Leon and the alleyway. He had no doubts that no one else who see him, though it also presented the uncomfortable situation of having to examine himself of the effects of the crazy lady who cursed him.

He looked himself over, prodding some parts to make sue they were there and looking over the rest. It was awkward to say the least, especially since he realized he still did look good according to the male part of his mind. Still, the thought of his tail not being the same as it was somewhat depressed him. Currently the appendage was about half as long as it used to be, ending around his knees. He hitched up the pants that still threatened to fall from around his waist. His tail was the only thing that kept them up in the first place, and it shifted enough that it didn't fit anymore.

"Um, thanks," Leon replied, taking the dress the nine tails' hands. He had some knowledge of it, though not enough to actually know how to wear the clothing. He looked behind him, and onto either side of the nine tails, slipping out of his oversized cloths and wrapping the dress around his slender frame. "My name's Lee ah, Leah Asanth" she said aloud, catching herself before saying her real name to the Doji. It was a bit too embarrassing to admit his current predicament to her right now.

Leah mentally scolded himself, trying to think that he really was a girl at the moment. It would make putting on a dress so much easier. She fumbled for a moment, then managed to tie to belt like sash around her waist simply. It was somewhat sloppy, with the hemline revealing more than originally intended, but it already held better than Leah's old cloths. An almost silly smile crossed her face as she finished, like a small archer hitting the bulls eye for the first time. It was nothing, but a great achievement nonetheless. The cat girl decided it would probably be good to stick to Doji for a while, at least until she found the crazy witch again. "um, where would you like to go then?"

[Reiko]

Ki Smiled at her handiwork, Leah looked rather cute in the Yukata, the white silk went well with the azure hair and fur, even highlighting the good looks of the cat girl. Though there was one problem. Ki couldn’t help but giggle seeing Leah’s tail hold up the hem to reveal a shapely bottom. “One quick adjustment and then we’re set. Don’t want everyone drooling over you butt.” Doji went towards her new friend to adjust the yukata so the tail wouldn’t keep it from wearing right.

Though while the same gender and Ki had only seen males in a sexual way there was a problem. Leah’s scent was rather strong down there and intoxicating and even familiar to the nine tails. It had a slight masculine tint that reminded the vixen of an old lover from her past lives, Leon. Ki or Kit had not seen the cat boy since that fated day in heat but she still had a place for him in her heart and that scent was driving the fox girl to blush as she worked the cat tail through a little hole that was made to keep the tail from holding up the hem.

“All Done, How about shopping, that’s sorta why I’m here and you probably don’t want to be in a loaned dress all day.” Ki said as she stood up, her heart pounding from the kitty’s scent. The ebon tails swished hopefully at the suggestion, as Doji pondered if she was in love, was love at first sight like this too. She was no stranger to love but Doji was sure she didn’t know everything about it, though she was rather apprehensive that it was a girl she just met, was that sorta thing right. Well how wrong could it be, Love wasn’t a horrid thing and so what if it was a girl she had fallen in love with? But then again it might not be love but just some trick of the oversensitive nose.

Still Shopping would be fun and so Ki dropped the subject in her head and led the way to the streets. It was a busy shopping day, not Ki’s favorite at all, she liked the streets to herself but having a friend with her would make it all the easier, it was going to be fun.

“I um sorta forgot what I needed to get.” Ki found herself admitting, as she went over the streets that were crawling with people with the loud bartering becoming a drone. “So until then you can choose the shop. ”I’m sure it’ll be fun, a girls’ day out!”

[Artifex Felicis]

The girl smiled at the nine tails' small jokes, letting herself be fitted for the dress without much trouble. A deeper blush came to her face as she felt her tail fitted through the dress carefully. It was a curious reaction in his mind. On one hand she felt an attraction to the nine tails, and the other more like a friend than a lover. It was probably from the male part of her mind if anything. Still she fumbled somewhat with he front of the dress, closing it up and not exposing nearly as much skin as a few moments before hand.

the cat girl pondered the situation for a moment, letting her mind drift. She probably should have been freaking out at the moment. Even fainted or at least with a considerable more shock than before. For all intents and purposes, he wasn't even the same person as she was a few minutes ago. Yet it was strange. It was like everything seemed right in the world, and perfectly normal. In all probability, her mind had probably rationalized what had happened and accepted it quickly. It was curious, and something to think about later, now however she would like to get a bit out of the way. Being in the middle of a crowd would probably attract less attention than being in an ally.

"Sure," Leah replied to Ki, following the bigger girl. She stepped daintily, aware her feet were smaller than before, and tried to avoid the black tails of Ki. The crowd made a small partway for the nine tails, and the cat girl slipped in like a smaller fish next to the big shark. She hopped over two or three tails, walking next to the kitsune with a wide grin. The hustle and bustle got her as excited as it did beforehand, though now she at least had something else to do. She stood Pat up often enough as a guy that he wouldn't be surprised if a certain cat boy wasn't there later.

"How about that place?" Leah said aloud when they took a moment to gather their bearings. She had to raise her voice a bit to get over the crowd, but that wasn't terribly hard to do. She pointed with a slender hand at a largish shop, and was immediately dragged to it. She stumbled, but kept her feet as she ended up in the store. She barely even knew which one she pointed to, but saw what it was as they got closer. A couple things clicked about Ki as well. For one her balance and general stance. It made a lot of sense she was a sword fighter, and probably a good one too.

The shop itself was pretty simple, with three rows off various weaponry laid out in shelves. The merchant's desk was close to the door, and many of the swords seemed quit e a bit more bountiful than the average iron longsword. The cat girl's open mouth hanged there for a few moments, before what would best be described as a purr escaped her throat. She almost skipped forward and towards one of the sword on display. She picked it up in soft hands, turning it over and admiring the shiny surface. She didn't know if it was well made, but it was at least good looking. She grinned, tail swishing happily as she almost became lost looking over the weapon.

[Reiko]

Leah had good taste, the first place she pointed to was a weapons shop, and even better one that sold imported weapons from places like Akashima and Nihon. This meant there would be blades that were lovingly crafted by sword makers that would devote at least a week to making a great sword, not the usual Corone weapons that were pounded out in mass by some stocky blacksmith that realized that broadswords fetched a prettier penny than horseshoes.

Once inside Ki swished her tails so much they threatened to tie themselves into knots but thankfully they did not or Doji and Leah would have a rather awkward scene for public display. It was something the fox girl couldn’t get over was looking over new weapons, her ronin and girl hybrid almost looked at swords like dresses and a good blade would do wonder for her image.

The cat girl seemed to have exactly what she wanted in mind, an Akashiman style Jian. A light blade made for fencing, perfect for Leah who looked like she would dance around her opponent and whittle him away. Not to mention the blade would look positively graceful. “Wow, that blade really looks good with you holding it! Can I see it?” Ki congratulated Leah as she walked up and took hold of the blade.

“I see you two like the sword, that’s a blade made for Akashiman Nobility, not going to find another blade like it. Made of pure Mythril.”

Ki suddenly frowned when she held the blade in one hand, it was way too light and unbalanced, and also it didn’t seem right. Taking a closer look told Ki a lot. The flaws were awful. The blade had one little hairline crack that she had to squint to see, so small and yet so fatal. “No this won’t do Leah, it’ll break when you use it and there isn’t a way to fix the problem without weakening the whole blade.”

The merchant looked at the nine tails with fuming eyes before demanding, “What do you mean, this sword’s perfect!”

Ki went to the man and pointed to the crack and tensed her muscles with annoyance. “Sorry but I don’t want my friend using it. Don’t worry some dandy wanting a sword to hang over the fireplace will love it but I have a feeling that it might get her killed.” Ki handed the man the blade and then ran to pick up several other swords of the same style, since a good one would really work for Leah. “This one’s perfect.” Ki smiled as she handed a Jian to Leah, this one would do the kitty girl well.

Of Coarse Doji wasn’t just shopping for Leah, even though there was no way she would find a superior blade to the Onitachi in this shop. She went to a quiver of a dozen arrows with obsidian Delyn tips that gave a Ki a strange tingling in her nose. “What’s about these arrows?” Ki asked the merchant.

“Those are special arrows made in Kachuck, they’re made to weaken magical shields and pierce through armor. Can’t sell many because they’re more than most archers want to pay.”

“Oh I’ll take them!” Ki said with smile and writhed her tails in a magic dance. “But I could use a discount, I need to be able to feed my children and these won’t do you any good if they’re laying around. Oh and please give my friend a discount too, please.”

“Oh um… ok! A pretty pair likes you coming in here’s good for business.” The merchant tried to look innocent but he was scouring Ki form with his eyes while guessing what she looked like without the green kimono.

“Here that Leah, You’re right this was a great stop!” Ki cheered as she paid the merchant. Definitely a good first stop.

[Artifex Felicis]

The sword was a simple one, but Leah loved the design almost immediately. It was a little over half her height, and more slender than a typical longsword. It also had an edge on both sides, running down to the hilt of the blade. It was a beutiful weapon to say the least, and the cat girl probably would have bought it there before Ki took it.

The cat girl actually took a step back, somewhat worried about the exchange between the nine tails and the shopkeeper. It also proved that Ki was a good fighter, or at least knew a lot about swords. Leah wasn't surprised, but much of what the two battered back and forth about the blade went above the cat girl's head. She never really bothered to use any weapons but her yarn and the claws that came out of her hands. She stopped paying attention for a moment, patting herself down. She sighed, realizing that she didn't even have any yarn balls on her. They weren't hard to aquire though. She could just make some from a rag later.

She tuned back into her friend and the shopkeeper finishing their small battle, noting the smile on Ki's face. Leah matched it, glad that Ki had won whatever argument that they had. The nine tails handed her a different sword this time, though it still seemed somewhat alike. This one felt a little heavier, but it also seemed to have been made a lot better than the last one. A soft purr actually managed to escape the girl before she stopped, blushing at the act. The new sword had a soft red tinge to it, as well as several small symbols etched into it near the hilt and reading upwards. It looked like chicken scratchings to the girl, but the way they were carved in made them appear far more regal. She slipped it into the sheath the covered part of it, preventing any possible chance of accidently cutting herself.

She caught up with the nine tails, laying down her money on the table. She kept a small gold pouch tied onto her tail, near where the rest of her body was connected to the tail. She had to fumble for a moment to get it out. The shopkeepers look didn't appear to be terribly satisfying though, and the cat girl thought quickly. She smiled, holding up a finger and then slipping her collar off from around her neck. She handed it to the man.

"Will this cover it?" the cat girl asked. She smiled, and held her sword and cradled the weapon. The shopkeeper smiled at her, nodding to say it was enough. The collar was something of an enigma of the cat girl's. She bought it a long time ago, mostly at the urging of an old friend who loved the little ascessory on her. Still, the sword seemed right to be with her. She kept her smile as she and Ki left the shop. She resisted the urge to hug the older girl for letting her get a far better sword than the one Ki said was trash.

"Do you want food?" Leah asked her as they left the shop. She was giddy from the excitement. She wanted to try out the sword, but drawing a weapon in the bazaar was like asking for a jail cell. Corone had one of the best police forces in the world. Her stomach chose that moment to growl, despite the food she had earlier. She groaned a little, then looked at her friend. "I'm pretty sure there's a good fish place right around here by the docks."

[Reiko]

Ki tried to make a motion to stop Leah from trading in her collar for the blade. A little more fox magic might get the blade for a steal but she was too late and the transaction was complete but hey had their weapons and it was time to go. Doji picked up her new quiver of special arrows and followed her new friend out the door. Leah seemed overjoyed about her new sword; it reminded Ki of when Kadenzaa’s father bought her the kitsune’s first bokudo. The excitement seemed to have made the kitty girl hungry.

“Of coarse, I am a bit hungry.” Ki replied with a smile, she was a bit hungry and it would be nice to eat without worrying about feeding the kids as well. The two walked the bazaar towards the merchant dock, easily where the best seafood would be and one restaurant that specialized in fish, of coarse it was what the cat girl was in the mood for and Ki wasn’t one to complain about fish, she often enjoyed to spend a summer day standing in a stream and using her blade to catch fish, a good way to eat and practice.

“This does look nice.” The vulpine ronin took a seat and looked at the menu and decided on some squid, it would be chewy but no worrying about bones. Also its something she couldn’t catch in a stream.

While the two would wait for their dish, Ki decided to have a little talk, she really waned to learn about her new friend. “So, what brings you here?” Ki asked while swishing her tails, though she felt a little rude for asking like that a decided to tell her own story. “Well I’ll start. I used to come here a lot before becoming a mother. I loved shopping the stores since they carry everything from across the world. I take my children sometimes but it can be a real handful with two kits keeping me busy and they can cause lots of mischief even if they mean better.” Ki laughed before taking a sip of water that were laid before them by the quiet waiters.

“Well I had a day when a friend would watch the kits so I decided to have a day on the town was getting a bit boring before meeting you.” The vixen winked, she was glad to meet Leah on this day.

[Artifex Felicis]

"Sweet," the cat girl replied as they began to leave the shop. She kept the sword close to her body, hugging it despite the thing leather loop that was obviously intended to go around her thin waist. She wanted to play with the sword already, though she also knew the odds of getting to in the street were slim thankfully. The Citadel might be a bit too far away, and fighting in a dress was something Leah never wanted to experience, ever.

The two went into the street, occasionally turning a head or two to look at the odd pair. Nekos in general were not terribly uncommon, but it was her new friend that turned more heads. Kitsunes were another somewhat common race, but one with nine tails was a rarity. Still, there was a second nagging feeling in the back of Leah's mind, one that didn't have to do with her current body. Ki reminded her of an old friend and lover, but he couldn't exactly place who. The cat girl let it slide, the day was fine without worrying her mind over small things.

They came to the docks, the fresh scent of fish reach them before the resilient wooden peirs. There were a few stands with fish, and a few more buildings. The two entered one of the better looking restaurants in the buildings, seating themselves quickly. It was a clean enough place,and Leah probably ate their once or two. Or at least got food from there once or twice. Paying for food sometimes a luxury that. Still, they were approached quickly, and gave their orders to their serer. She placed her new sword on the ground, leaning it against her leg and dress. She paused for a moment, wondering if something was up with her clothing, but she dismissed it. She never really paid much attention to clothing anyway. Leah decided after a moment on the catch of the day, preferring to try her luck. She hadn't found a type she disliked yet.

"Er," Leah began. Ki's question caught her off-gaurd, and she was glad when the kistune told her story before the cat girl. She listened and thought of her own story quickly, thankful that she could do such a thing effectively. Her story needed to sound somewhat plausible at least, and no matter how comfortable she felt describing her current state to her friend would only end in her being wigged out. There food came quickly, which wasn't terribly surprising. Most of the restaurants had their food partially cooked before the customer stepped inside. She also knew squid couldn't be cooked for a while before it got bad.

"Thanks," she said to the waitress as their food was put down. Leah wasted no time, eating a small bit of the food before beginning her own tale. "I was staying at an inn a road or two away, had a pretty good bath house so I decided to use it. Granted, it was also my luck that some of my cloths were taken by someone else's when I left the bath and started to dry off everything. Didn't actually find out that my stuff was stolen until I was mostly dry and still naked except for a towel. The key back to my room was in my dress' pocket, and I never really saw the person, but there were some others cloths I saw nearby. I figured that without anything valuable in my inn room it wasn't too bad, but I was naked and didn't need to be there, so I took the cloths and ran. and that's when I bumped into you."

Leah smiled, drinking from her water as she finished. Parts of the story could be considered true, though none of it was really related to what happened. She took another couple bites from the fish, which was a bright orange and spicier than she would have thought. It was pretty good. "So where do you live? I have a small house in Concordia, but that's about it."

[Reiko]

Ki couldn’t help but smile as she heard the girl’s story. It was a funny tail that reminded Ki of times when she was not dressed for the occasion. Her younger self Inari had a magical growth spurt that left her practically naked and being led by her mother while wrapped in a towel. “Sorry, it sorta reminds me of a similar time I went through.”

Doji dug into the tentacled creature that was laid before her. It was spiced right and even though many complained about the creature being chewy; Doji was enjoying the meal as she talked with her friend. “I live in kitsune den in Akashima, the mountains. Just learned to make magic den when I was pregnant, really nice place too. The people are so nice around there. I guess it really isn’t much since most nine tails can make palaces, and mines just a little house with a garden.”

Doji drank some more water and smiled. “So anything else you want to do today, it’s really being fun having a new friend, I sorta wished it wouldn’t end. But I also want to see my kits again. I think you’d love them. Both are well behaved, Chiyo carries around her plush kitty cat all around the den but can’t take it outside or it’ll fade away. Heh remind me to buy her a real one before the day is through. And Ryo has a good heart and very curious though he has a little mischief streak from time to time. Still he’s a good kid, just wants to be independent a little too soon.”

The vixen blushed a little as she looked at Leah. “I’m really sorry, going on like one of those arrogant mothers that’s so proud of their kids that’s all they can talk about, I’m sure you don’t want to hear that, though I do hope you get to meet them.” The vixen swished her tails at the prospect of Leah meeting her children.

Once done with her meal, Doji paid for the fish seeing that Leah sprung for the weapons and it seemed only fair. “So where to next, anything else you want to do before the day’s over?”

[Artifex Felicis]

Leah's face stayed smiling, partly from meeting such a likable person and also because her story was believable. Still, it sort of surprised her that such a high level person would ever even think of becoming friends with a poor cat girl such as herself. She didn't have any doubts about the state of her appearance, which was one of general disarray and probably rather dirty. The cat girl kind of wished she actually took a bath now that she could smell herself a bit more easily. He ate her fish as Ki began to talk, ears visibly perking at the mention of the country Akashima.

"I've always wanted to see that place, Akashima I mean" Leah commented truthfully. She grinned a little wider at Ki's embarrassment as a mother. It was actually somewhat hard to belive that the nine tails was a mother. She seemed too pretty and nice to be the type that raised kids. Then again, normal rules that applied to humans began to lose their grip on people like Ki and Leah. She knew of other cat girls who had one or two litters and looked rather alike to what they did before pregnancy. Granted, it wasn't until their kittens were grown up somewhat. The thought caused a giggle to escape from a girl as she finished off her small orange fish.

"I wouldn't mind meeting your kits though," Leah said with a grin. They two stood and began to leave. The strange though about her clothing came to her again, and the cat girl dismissed it without a thought. Wearing a dress probably just took some getting used to. She took her new sword, holding in one hand instead of trying to figure out the small clasp that held the sheath and blade. The two exited the restaurant, and began to walk somewhat around a bit, mostly so they didn't stand still. It wasn't nearly as crowded as it was on the market lane, so they didn't have to be that close to stick together.

"Assuming of course you would be able to put up with me," Leah began again. She smiled as she turned to the older girl. "I'd love to come to Akashima with you. Corone is beginning to dry up in terms of jobs for me, and I'm sure I could get some work up there for a bit too. I might need to see if I could grab some stuff from the inn I stayed at, but I'd love to come."

[Reiko]

“Put up with you? I was wondering how I’d keep my self company when heading home without you.” Doji smiled and swished her tails. “Having you see my home would really make me happy and the road home will be many times more fun with you along.”

Ki saw Leah shift in her dress that Doji made for her. It made the vixen blush for a couple of reasons. One was that the vixen thought she accidentally made the dress too tight, two that tightness showed off the kitty’s body very well and three was that Ki felt like she shouldn’t be enjoying seeing a fellow girl in that light.

“Yeah lets stay at that inn too before we go.” Doji suggested when Leah wanted to retrieve some things that she lost and Doji wouldn’t want to have her new friend lose something on her account and it would be better to go well rested and in the morning. “With a good night sleep we could make a much better time to Akashima.”

Also Doji felt in the privacy of the room, she could say her true feeling for the cat girl and see if the feline had similar feelings for her. Ki would really like to get that off her chest. Here there was too many people and many of them had some curiosity towards the nine tailed vixen for having nine tails. And many of the glances she got were not the most pleasant as furries were often looked down upon in Radasanth. “Well you can lead the way since you know which inn you stayed at.” Doji fidgeted with her tails, excited and apprehensive.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl grinned wide at the thought of going to Akashima. Her homeland wasn't on Corone of the mainland where Salvar and Alerar were, but Akashima was somewhat closer than most to her homeland. She paused for a moment, trying to figure why she never nearly went to Akashima in the first place. It was always just sort of in the list of thing she meant to do, but never got around to it. Well, that would be changed in a few minutes anyway.

"That would be great, the inn was," Leah trailed off. She looked both ways, actually turning as she tried to get her bearings in the street. She giggled slightly as she felt her tail brush up against someone, realizing it was a little ticklish now. That, and to give enough thought as to try and remember which inn had the bath house as well. She stopped, point off in the semi distance. "That way, not too far though, maybe a two minutes walk. After all, I got as far as I did in those cloths pretty quickly. I only had one or two shirts and a pair of pants. I could just buy some more tomorrow if I need to. Let's go!"

She grabbed and tugged on the ninetail's hand, smiling widely. She brought them pretty quickly to the inn in question. It was a reasonably high up inn, with a somewhat large bath house and almost always had half of its rooms filled with travelers. She was sure that there was still a room open, and rushed inside qucikly. It felt weird wearing the dress, but in a different way. This material seemed to huge her curves, while the cloths she normally wore were loose and comfortable. It wasn't unpleasant, but very different.

She got the room quickly, paying for a single night and a single room for the her and the ninetails. The cat girl was reasonably sure the rooms came with two beds, but it had been a while since she stopped in there. It was around when the cat girl realized bumming a roof from friends was far more nice on her money bag then somewhat expensive inns like this. Though inns like this one also had the advantage of comfortable beds too. She returned a few moments later, holding a somewhat large copper key in her hand, pleased with herself.

"Got it, though I had to get a new room," Leah said aloud. She smiled, looking at the ninetails with almost too much energy for the night beginning to slowly come on. Her tail swished from side to side gleefully, though never actually hitting anyone or anything. "Though, I'm really up for anything. What do you want to do?"

[Reiko]

Ki couldn’t help but smile when Leah asked her what to do next for this inn was one of the rare ones that had a bath and Doji felt like a bath after taking time to travel all the way to Radasanth and also it be a great way for the girls to hang out. While Leah would be naked the water would probably wash away scent that was driving the vixen nuts for the cat girl.

“This place has a bath right? It would be nice to sleep clean before heading back, don’t you think?” Nine tails swished as Ki saw the cat girl nod. It was so nice to have a friend that would agree with her like this. But maybe there was more to it. The thought of bathing with the neko was making the kitsune’s heart flutter. Was it some kind of perverted twist on fated love? Ki shuddered her tails as she walked to the room for the women’s bath.

The room that held the bath was made up of clean tiles, definitely a nice inn since everything was clean in here but it didn’t have the personality of the bath at home. Ki dipped her large toe in the water and smiled as she felt the warmth, this place had the water magically heated. “It’s perfect, lets jump in.” Doji smiled as she removed her clothing and blushed slightly when the robe was off and she was in her bikini. The vixen could wear that in the water just fine, but Leah didn’t have one and for fairness she took off the last bits of clothing.

Ki swished her tails as she tried not to stare at Leah, the cat girl had a lithe feminine body and the kitsune mother felt a blush when she realized that she was feeling even more attracted to the girl. It must be that scent. Ki dipped into the pool of heated water and looked downward little.

Maybe I should tell her. She might be feeling the same way about me. Doji thought as she swished her tails through the water and causing a little currant to form. We really might be meant to be. Doji thought but found her voice choked before she could ask and the vixen decided to wait a little while, it would be awkward to ask while naked and when someone else that wanted to use the bath could walk in.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl let out a soft purr as Ki voiced her opinion of going tot he bath. She was sure it was low enough so that no one beside her own ears would pick up the sound. It caught the cat girl by surprise, and she quickly shut her mouth, turning away slightly and letting the nine tails go before her so that she wouldn't notice the blush on her face. It was a bit odd, though the nine tails was a good looking girl, and Leah didn't exactly think like the average girl.

Despite, she was annoyed at the dirt and general muck that slowly and quickly accumulated on her legs every sense she had to change into the dress. When she was a guy, he often wore baggy cloths and generally long cloths. In the dress, her legs were exposed for the open dirt roads to mess up and generally make dirty. She often cleaned her tail almost fanatically. Having white fur often let the dirt become easily noticed, and her tail also doubled as her pillow at times. Possibly not as often now that the tail wasn't nearly as long, but it was still a habit groomed into him since he wasn't even ten years old.

The bathroom tiles were cold on her bare feet, though that wasn't nearly enough to stop the cat girl from going it. She blushed a little, undressing quickly and letting the rest of her body breath well. She wasn't embarrassed about showing off her body. If anything, she could have comfortably shown it off in the middle of the street if she wasn't afraid of getting tackled by someone. Still, there was a big difference in her mind with someone else you were just becoming friends with. She slipped quickly into the clear water, glad that it was hot and comfortable.

The water quickly began to foam, and the cat girl giggled as the kitsune went into the water. She had noticed the skimpy looking clothing she had removed a few moments earlier, mostly that it was the type of cloths meant to be able to become wet. She smiled widely, notching the water begin to slowly bubble from an unknown source. Leah wasn't terribly surprised, especially since she saw her own swishing tail matching Ki's. Still, they were more soapy bubbles, and quickly covered the shorter cat girl.

"Come on, at get yourself wet," Leah said aloud playfully, she skimmed forward, only part of her above water before she pulled on the older girl to come into the water. She grinned mischievously, flashing shiny teeth as she pulled, letting go and going back into the water under coming to a stop in the middle of the bath. The cat girl stayed on her knees, keeping her head above and out of the water while trying to keep the rest of her body in the warm water. The air was too cold compared to the warm bath, and the cat girl almost didn't want to leave. She absentmindedly began to rub a leg, cleaning the dirt off from the appendage as she waited for her friend to come into the water.

[Reiko]

Ki yelped and giggled as Leah tugged her into the deeper part of the water and retaliated with a splash as the kitty girl was washing her self. Still Ki felt nervous as Leah splashed back and it lasted only a few moments and both went to cleaning themselves from the dirt and grime that would build up. The vixen couldn't help but look at Leah's body as it was obscured by the water. The scent wasn't as strong but still Ki needed to ask Leah but couldn't, she simply went about washing her tails, ears and hair.

Drying off was the hard part as she could get more than a glimpse of Leah's bare skin and the scent was still there. Doji wanted Leah and she wanted Leah to want her. Doji's heart was beating fast enough that even the littlest thing could break. "I'm really tired, I'll be going to bed." Ki said as she toweled off and slipped on her bikini then her kimono giving her some modesty.

Ki watched as Leah did the same though the dress that the nine tails provided was starting to lose magic and was unraveling. I forgot, the yukata was only temporary out here. She'll hate me if she thinks I'm spiting her and she might think that if I tell her. Doji shook her head and started to head towards the room and waited outside while the kitty girl brought the room key.

Once Leah opened the door, Ki went to the bed and sat down, fidgeting with her kimono and causing it to expose her shoulders a little. The fox Ronin needed to build up the courage as she tensed and loosened her body she could fight to the death but this was far harder. "Ummm Leah. I need to tell you something. A secret, I think I'm in love." Doji paused as she shifted her wait on the bed and tried to read her friend.

It was strange for Doji, she had been in love before, having the kits to prove it. Ki had fallen in love before she came to be when she was two entities. One of them had fallen in love with a cat boy named Leon. That was what the scent was like, it smelled like when that one part of her and Leon made love that one night. The sweet smell of love and lust and that why she was going mad. But Ki thought hard and figured that there was more. She did love Leah.

"I'm in love with you, Leah."

[Artifex Felicis]

The bath was over quickly, though Leah finished grooming herself rather quickly compared to Ki. She simply sat in the water for a bit, waiting for the nine tails and she soaked, enjoying the warmth and not wanting to leave. There was a strange smell in the air though, one that roused up feelings the girl hadn't felt in a while. It seemed his mind was still in control of his body to a good degree, since it reminded him of a few people he used to know. Of course, there was only one or two times that same smell managed to have come to him, and the night often ended the same way.

She left the bath, shivering for a moment before beginning to dry herself off. Her body was easy enough, but her tail and ears gave her more trouble than she would have thought. She wasn't sopping wet at least when she gave up on drying herself off. Though, the smell stuck around as she changed into the dress Ki gave her, and she began to pinpoint it. It was pretty simple after she realized that she was attracted to Ki, but the pheromones that came from her didn't help. She blushed, searching her possessions and gathering them up as Ki left. It felt weird, but then again the whole day was weird. She smiled shyly at the thought of the day. It was weird to say the least.

She went up to her room quickly, tail swishing rather quickly and almost erratically as she walked. She passed by the entrance to the inn, nearly knocking down a large looking bag before hurrying upstairs. The robe was loose on her body, and covered the essentials but Leah had hurried putting it on. Coupled with her lack of experience with actually putting it on she wouldn't have been that surprised it the whole thing simply fell off of her.

She opened the door with he key, closing it behind her as she let Ki into the room before her. The room was well furnished, and the cat girl closed and locked the door behind her. She didn't want anyone to sneak into their room and steal what they had on them, especially since she only had her new sword for less than a day. She busied herself, mind beginning to tick away as the smell got almost more intense and she almost felt like she was in heat quickly. It was strange, especially since the girl didn't even notice the nine tail's loosen her kimono.

She sat down beside the ninetails, listening to her with a sweet smile on her face. She almost wanted to just play with the older girl's hair as she talked, but she refrained instead only widening the smile as Ki finished her sentence. She didn't reply to the kitsune, but stood up slightly, quickly and easily kissing the girl on her cheek. Her cheeks burned red as she pulled away, tail swishing before touch at least one of Ki's tails.

--=~A while later~=--

The cat girl stirred, a soft mewl escaping her mouth as she turned in her somewhat asleep but awake state. The sunshine from the day was beginning to creep in through the window and come to the cat girl. She let out another mewl, rubbing her head and burying her head into her pillow. She frowned, keeping her eyes closed as she reached a hand up, feeling her pillow. It felt furry, and the girl smiled, realizing it was Ki's tail. For a moment she contemplated snuggling back into the kitsune's tails, but decided against it for fear of the sun. The cat girl got out of the bed, weakly standing before getting back in, moving over the still sleeping kitsune and letting her head rest on the real pillow. She reached out a hand carefully, only two fingers and gently shaking the kitsune with a sleepy smile.

"Good morning."

[Reiko]

Ki had slept well once she had gotten to sleep, the fact that Leah had returned her love had been such a relief. The dreams were as sweet as the night and Ki almost didn't want to wake up when Leah roused her. But then again reality was sweet too and Ki woke up without regret and smiled at Leah's sweet face.

One oddity was the lack of clothing on both girls was a hint towards what happened that night. Ki wasn't really sure what happened that night but she knew it was wonderful. The nine tails giggled and kissed Leah's forehead before getting up and grabbing her kimono and slid it on. "good morning!" Doji felt relief from the scent even though it still lingered, her body was happy and so was she.

"I think we should get an early start so we can make it home without much trouble. I'm a little anxious to see what my Kits were up to while I was gone." Who knows what Chiyo and Ryo did to the den in their mother's absence. The pair were pretty mischievous and might wreck the whole den but a magic den could be easily fixed.

"It should be a nice day for the trip. The window is full of sun and the moving branches of that tree shows a breeze to keep ups coo." The vixen danced her tails with anticipation to have her kits meet Leah and the company during the travels would be very lovely. Doji was definitely in high spirits.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl grinned sleepily at the kitsune, herself still just waking up. It was nice to see Ki so chipper too, even if her fuzzy mind couldn't think of much to be happy about. Still, if the ninetails was as glad to see Leah as it as the other way around, that would work just as easily. She blinked once or twice, sliding off and gracefully landing on her feet. A little sound which sounded like a soft mew escaped her as she felt the colder floor. The rest of the room was warmer enough for the girl to not even have goose bumps. Still, for as warm as it was, Leah didn't envy whoever would have to clean up the general mess. It wasn't bad, but the covers had been kicked off, and just seemed to be in general disarray.

She spent a minute or two searching for her dress, only to have it handed to her by Ki. She thought she heard a giggle and caught a sly grin on the ninetails' face, but didn't think much of it. Not that it mattered much either, the dress looked to be more or less the same, and her gold pouch still felt reasonable heavy as she reattached it to her tail. She spent an extra moment fitting her tail through, so that whenever she lifted her tail a draft wouldn't come by. She gathered the rest of her things, stuffing her guy cloths into her bag with some effort and slinging that onto her shoulder so it was easier to carry. She did the same with the sword, only looping the leather strap around her thin waist so the sword hung by her side. She blushed, imagining herself as some sort of brilliant sword master with eh blade. While she knew she'd be able to use it without killing herself, becoming a sword master anytime soon was out of the question. Still, the fancy tickled at her.

She grinned, leading the two out of the messy room and down the stairs. She returned the key to the innkeeper with a smile and then the two left, at least her tail swishing from side to side happily. The day was warm, and generally a great day all around. The sun was higher up than the cat girl would have thought, but she believed they might be able to get to Akashima by the end of the day. Or at the very least before they needed to sleep again. Still, the day's travel should be fun for the both of them. Though, being in a dress the entire day didn't really appeal to the cat girl very much.

"I'll be right back," she said after they were passing by. Se darted into a cloths shop, returning a few minutes later in a pair of reasonably cheap traveling pansand shirt. Neither looked worthy enough to go to a ball for, but they covered up the essentials and didn't itch, so they were more than enough to keep her fine for traveling. She grinned, holding the dress in her arms carefully. She put it carefully into her bag after greeting Ki again, then closed it and began to walk on the road with Ki beside her. the cat girl knew the general direction towards Akashima, but that was all. Ki would have to guide her there after a bit. "Sorry, I just sort of wanted to get some part stuff to walk in. I'm not that big a fan of dresses and stuff. I'd rather just wear pants. Still, how far is the journey, would you say?"

[Reiko]

(the threads now open to Archer)

Ki lost Leah when they entered the bazaar and it didn't worry her that much. The kitty girl seemed like she wanted to have a moment to her self and Ki could wait, perhaps Leah just needed to go to the bathroom.

Leah returned and proved Ki's theory wrong with a new set of clothes. The cat girl looked well in the adventuring clothes, not being overly tight and still showing the kitty's feminine form while giving a better range of motion. Also seeing Leah's gait was much more composed and fluid showing she was more used to the functional clothing than the robe of Ki's homeland. It hurt but then again the yukata would dissolve again and that would be rather awkward on the rode or around people so Ki let it go.
"It's alright, having clothing you're more used to is more important while traveling. And as for how far, if we keep a good pace it might only take a day or two but only have to spend one night." The vixen smiled and let her tails dance with her walk as she led Leah through the gates and out of Radasanth.

The road was quiet with the exception of the a few birds and a slight breeze. Ki was right in that it would be a good day for traveling. A nice Sunny day that wasn't too hot or cold, a little boring but then again Ki was with a new friend and that would make it better. "I think you'll like my home. I have a nice hot spring that is as good as the one we were in and it's not too messy." Doji giggled when she realized that she couldn't call it clean either.

The two talked and walked down the forest road while one man watched. Two girls were there, furry girls though so they might not have a lot of coin but the rumors were that they were a one of a kind experience in bed. The shadowy figure made his move.

Ki thought she heard something and put her hand near her sword in apprehension at what was going to happen and soon a scraggy but strong looking man, couldn't tell if he was young or old since he was a mess came out.

"I own this here wood'. I' you wanna pass you gotta pay me coin..." He smiled while looking over the two girl. "Or ye can pay in other ways, mainly letting me in your skirts."

Ki giggled and shook her head, thanks to meeting Leah she was in a good mood but that probably wasn' going to save him. "This is funny, you're talking really big even though you're outnumbered."

"But you're just a couple of Girlies. You don't stand a chance!"

Doji sighed and looked at Leah. She had a feeling that the kitty girl wouldn't have much trouble with the bandit but still there was a chance that she wasn't that good of a fighter and could get killed. Maybe it would be best for Doji to do this one herself. "This kind of ruins the mood." Ki said to Leah with a sigh.

[The Archer]

Seth Ad'huast was just making his way out of Radasanth after his battle with the young Vortimo girl. It hadn't been as fun as he'd hoped -- apparently the very notion of the Citadel offended her. Still, he had some experience under his paws, and felt confident about going out into the world.

He'd felt it safest to travel out of the city on this particular day because it was the new moon -- the time he took his full human form. He didn't own a shirt -- most of the time it was pointless, so he exited the city bare chested.

This, of course, had turned a good many female heads. Seth was the first to admit that he wasn't sculpted to perfection in this form, but he was lean and muscular, and he cut a handsome figure with his pants a little short, his bow slung over his back, and his quiver at his hip.

His shaggy black hair hid much of his face...actually, right now, he could barely see, so thick was the mop hanging over his eyes -- one black like the abyss, the other green like the spring.

He walked cheerfully barefoot, glad to be out in the open sky again. There were two others on this road, not too far ahead of him -- a cute neko girl and an attractive kitsune woman. He decided to leave them be, though...after all, right now he was just a human, and he doubted they'd have interest in him.

When he saw the forest, his stomach growled, and he broke from the road to enter it further on in, where there might be the chance of catching a rabbit or something small.

The sound of voices brought him back toward the road, and it wasn't long before he could see the scene through the trees. A bandit of some description was harassing the pair of women that had been in front of him. A low growl escaped his human throat...that was something he couldn't tolerate.

Seth slid his bow from his shoulder and nocked an arrow gently, aiming and drawing it. Right past his eyes.

The bow let out a soft creak as he bent it further, and then with a twang and an exhilarating whistle, the arrow flew toward its mark. He'd aimed just a hair downward and out, and instead of flying past the man's eyes, the tip and fletching cut slightly across his nose before burying the entire head and part of the shaft in the hardwood.

The bandit turned to where the arrow had come from. "What the...?"

Taking that as his cue, Seth stepped out from the brush, near to the road, smoothing back his hair to reveal his face, with its strong features.

"It is wrong of you, sir, to attempt to threaten ladies as they peacefully pass through a freewood," he said, letting his words flow from him -- it had been a good way to get girls back before his...curse.

"Now," he resumed, nocking another arrow and bending the bow, before pointing toward the bandit. "You will leave...because next time, I will not miss."

The bandit didn't think it over...just ran. Seth kept the bow pointed at his retreating form until the thug was out of sight, then put his arrow back in the quiver before walking over to retrieve the first arrow.

"Are you ladies unharmed, or did I arrive too late?"

[Artifex Felicis]

The walk from the inn of Radenseth to Akashima was pleasant so far into their journey. Mostly small talk passed between the two girls, and it was never much more than an old job or some other trivial matter. Though, it also became rather apparent that Neither knew that much about some subjects, they were bother interested in a couple others. It was a beutiful day none the less, and almost the perfect type for walking around and simply talking with a friend.

Though, not even the bandit who stepped in and wanted to get their gold or into their pants could have made the day any less good. If anything, the smile of the cat girl's face widened at the man. He was of an uncertain age, but from the almost haphazard way he held his weapon he was either a complete novice or a grand master. and the last time Leah looked at the world with eyes, grand masters of anything never stooped to petty theivery. Ki must have had the same type of thought, as she heard a giggle escape the kitsune.

Banter between the two began for a moment, though it was also quickly dashed away as an arrow flew in from off scene. The same arrow nearly planted itself in the man's head, but settled for a bit of his nose instead. The bandit ran away quickly, further strengthening the theory that he was not a good bandit at all. Or in this case, a great bandit to come back and perform his duties again. Still, Leah as surprised by the bow, and somewhat thankful. She didn't want to spoil her new cloths this quickly with blood, or any other fluids for that matter.

She watched as a man came from the bushes, and a blush came to her face for a moment. He was handsome to say the least, and also nearly naked but for his pants. Still, it wasn't like a curious mind couldn't erase them. She spoke up, her voice a squeek at first but quickly corrected itself. "We're fine, you came just in time." The cat girl waved to the man, then pointed at the arrow lodged in the tree that went through the man's nose. "Nice shot too."

She pulled Ki aside for a second, something in her chest saying it was alright to trust the man. Her gut usually right in these cases, though there was once or twice where it wasn't. Still, she wanted to learn more about the strange man clad in only pants without a boot or shirt. "Can we ask him to come with us?" the cat girl asked. She smiled at the kitsune, or rather never really stopped. "It'll be fun if we have someone else to talk to as we go along!"

[Reiko]

The bandit was lucky if the mysterious archer didn't come by to 'save' Ki and Leah then the kitsune woman would have made up her mind and slice off his head or fire a more lethal shot from her own bow. Still being saved was a little embarrassing to Doji. Normally the ronin girl preferred to do her own fighting even if it would make a mess and here she was saved by some stranger.

Though this stranger had a nice body and was providing the girls with some eye candy. The Kitsune had a little battle in her brain over entertaining naughty thoughts with the athletic archer and the naughty side won even though she was a mother and Leah seemed to have an eye on him as well asking if he could come along.

"I don't see why not, seems like he's friendly and if he is going to betray us it would be better he be in plain sight. Just don't entertain any ideas until we're sure of what he wants." Doji said partially to herself as well as her feline friend. The stranger was a stranger and he might have some trap for the girls.

"Thanks for saving us and we'll love to have you along to help with any other brigands that like to ambush women in these parts. And we can never have too much company." Doji agreed and smiled between the two.

There might be another problem brewing if either Ki or Leah would get jealous over the handsome marksman. Perhaps last night meant that they wouldn't have trouble with sharing but still if they both wanted the same guy then it might be trouble. Good thing it was almost a year before Ki would go into heat again.

[The Archer]

Seth freed his arrow from the tree and then turned to the two ladies, listening discreetly as they discussed whether or not they wanted him along. He covered up his eavesdropping (which wasn't nearly as good in his human form, since he could hear better with his fox ears) by dropping his arrow back with its fellows in his quiver and slinging his bow across his back.

It'd probably be for the best if they had a man accompanying them...even though the vixen has a sword, and the queen* doesn't look defenseless either, bandits are less likely to attack when females have a male with them, he mused silently. And both were good-looking enough to flirt with as he accompanied them.

He almost laughed as the lovely nine-tails made a mention about him betraying them, but they'd already been attacked once today, so it was a natural enough suspicion. As they turned to invite him along, he made a short bow.

"It would be my honor to accompany you however far you go, ladies." He straightened up and grinned roguishly, laughter sparkling from his green and black eyes as his hair fell back over his face.

"Seth Ad'huast...marksman, hunter, defender of fair women, and perpetually shirtless. I hope you don't mind...most days I don't need a shirt."

He put his left hand on his hip and flicked his hair out of his eyes with his right hand -- a maneuver that had always made the girls back home swoon. Or just giggle...but it was still something.

"Please direct me to your castle, ladies...and I, your loyal bodyguard, shall see you there without harm." His smile brightened.

"And may I be permitted to hear your names? For I am sure that two such lovely women must have names as equally lovely."

Okay, that's a load of ham and cheese, even for me, he thought, still grinning at the two.

* A female cat is actually called a queen.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl smiled widely, glad that Ki had agreed to bring the guy along with them to Akashima. She couldn't really place the exact reason as to why she wanted him to come, but decided that it also really didn't matter. She hugged the ninetails looking almost the picture of happiness for a moment. She grinned for a moment mischievously, the let the older girl go free from her grip. It was probably pretty obvious that she wanted the handsome man to come.

She was still curious about the man though. For one thing, just why did he go around without a shirt or boots? She shook her head, fiddling with the blade that hung by her side. She felt a slight blush enter her face, and suddenly found the sword's hilt enchanting to try and hide it from the man. Still, it didn't help when he began to speak. Leah had used such tactics before, and she could feel a heavier blush on her face when she looked up at him. She didn't know that they could be effective, even if they it was more cheesy than a mouse's home.

"Well, I'm Leah" the cat girl began after she had composed herself quickly. A soft giggle escaped her before she could contain it, and she put a lithe hand to cover it for a second. Her mirth shown through even past the hand however. "Kitten, sleeper and adventurer. You can take your pick."

"My friend," she continued. She took a couple steps back and put an arm around the nine tails. "is Ki. Sword master, nine tails, mother, and haggler." The girl went forward again, excited at being able to travel again. If her energy were contained at that moment she seemed like she would actually explode. "Now come on! Let's go! I wanna see Akashima! We can talk about our past and tell secrets and play games as we walk!"

[Reiko]

The way Leah hugged Ki reminded Ki of the way her kits would hug her when they got their way. That was probably the hardest hurdle Doji had to jump in avoiding spoiling the twins since that hug was so sweet and made the nine tails warmer and fuzzier than usual.

To tell the truth the ronin wanted Seth to join them as well he had a fun personality that gave the mother to make a girlish giggle that reminded her of the days when she had just been born from the fusion between Kadenzaa and Inari and wandered the world as if it was new. Those days of adventure were short as she was burdened with a cursed sword and then got pregnant.

"Oh I have to warn you, where we're going you might want to rethink you're no shirt rule. It's nice seeing a bare example of a fine body but it'll be hard to appreciate if you're shivering." Ki snickered playfully and let Leah introduce them and made the vixen blush.

"I'm hardly a master, I can handle myself but that's it. I can't refute nine tails or mother, i have kids and counted but other than being a little odd it doesn't mean much." Doji bowed and smiled while Leah urged that they move on and have fun while walking.

Doji took the lead since she was the only one that knew where they were going. Still the newcomer might be a problem, he was fun but a little too well timed and if Doji led him to the den and he did something to her kits she would' be able to live with herself. At least if he was just a thief, he would be rather disappointed in what he found, all the grand items would vanish when leaving the den and could be easily replaced. Still the kits safety was first and she had plenty of time to figure out what he was about on the way to her home.

[The Archer]

Seth grinned at how bouncy the little queen was. She was adorable, but bouncy was a trait he more attributed to his kid sisters than to a potential date. No, the lovely kitsune was more his type...but she was a mother. I'm just out of my league here. Oh well...some harmless flirting and being a proper escort won't do anything bad to me, and may do the two of them some good.

He followed along, a few steps behind the two. "I'd say something about how the two of you shouldn't fear the road now that I'm here," he said, still in the smooth voice that came with his human form, "...but I'm sure you're sick of me and my cheesy self already." Seth grinned, again flicking his hair back and away from his eyes. He'd get it cut, but then it would only look odd in his fox form.

"Akashima, eh? Is it very cold? No worries, Lady Ki. I'm from Salvar originally, and well...there's a reason I don't often need a shirt. Since it's a way to Akashima, you might have the opportunity to see why, if some hunt -- hrmmm bandit doesn't come first and stab this poor Archer in his very heart." He put a hand on his chest for a moment and stopped, before going on again, finished with his melodrama.

"Kits? All the way in Akashima...I hope you didn't leave them alone." A slight frown made its way between his eyebrows. "I'm sure you live somewhere safe, but even the safest children..."

He could have hit himself. "But of course I'm sure you left them with their father. Still, you must be missing them terribly."

[Artifex Felicis]

"But why wouldn't you need a shirt often?" Leah asked the new companion as she turned around. She walked daintily,almost entirely on the balls of her feet to help keep her balance on the road. There wasn't much deviation, but there were a couple smaller potholes that could trip up the at girl walking backwards. "It's not like you suddenly spurt tentacles or a demon from your chest or something. At least I hope. I've heard bad campfire tales about that. Though, if you did, you probably would wear a shirt so you wouldn't surprise people by being half naked and buff all the time."

She stumbled for a second, catching herself so she didn't fall quickly. She wasn't graceful, but she was more than quick enough to stop herself from skinning her knees on the ground. Still, the tip of her sword hit the ground slightly, and the girl immediately picked it up, slacking the belt it was attached to. She turned around, inspecting the blade's sheath carefully before tightening the belt and letting it hang once more. She turned after a few moment, walking a little ahead of the ninetails and backwards so she could face both of her friends at the same time. She moved at Ki's words, turning when needed.

The day passed by easily enough, and a bit more quickly than the cat girl would have guessed. She wasn't sure how quickly they were going, but they have lost sight of Radenseth even before the two girls met Seth. A yawn escaped the cheery girl, despite the energy she felt earlier it was quickly dropping from her as sunset began to approach. She stopped walking for a bit, letting the other two catch up to her. They passed, and a mischievous grin crossed the cat girl's face as she ran up, jump and landing on Seth's back lightly. Leah was not the heaviest girl in the world to say the least. Her arms locked around Seth's larger chest, and the girl hanged like a sack from his back. Her knees hugged his sides easily enough as well, letting her stay on remarkably well.

"Carry me!" She said with a giggle. She stayed on as he bucked at first, surprised by sudden weight. She held on, much like a rider with a new horse. A purr escaped her before whatever answer he would have given. She nuzzled his neck quickly, making herself comfortably by using arm as a makeshift pillow on Seth's shoulder. "Pretty please? I doubt we would have that much farther to go."

[Reiko]

"Salvar eh? Guess if you can live without a shirt there you can live without one anywhere. Though I'm surprised you're not naked if you dress that way in Salvar." Doji laughed a bit and enjoyed the metal image Seth missing his pants too. But Salvar did have a more somber image.

Perhaps this guy is an escaped slave? Ki asked herself and making doubly sure not to think out loud. Salvar was famous for forced labor and Ki always pretty much avoided it because of that and it was too dang cold for her and she lived in Akashima's mountains.

Any somber thoughts were squashed though when Leah ran up to Seth and leapt on his back and begged him to carry her. Wow she must be really attracted to the archer and the vixen couldn't blame the kitty girl since he was very handsome and his silly chivalry was rather cute. Probably best that she let Leah have him though since Doji had enough experience with love and Leah was rather excited.

"Guess you have a new job." Ki giggled as she watched the cat girl make herself comfortable on Seth's back. The queen was having a grand time and hopefully she was going to keep it. "And We'll camp under the stars tonight, looks like a good time to do it, and I need to save some coin so we'll stop when you get tired or the sun sets first." The ronin swished her tails and took her blade, still in its Saya, and held it over her shoulder.

"I can take over the protector role for a little bit anyways."

[The Archer]

"Easy, easy," said Seth, a little startled, as Leah jumped onto his back. "All right, sure, I'll carry you. Just...let me get my bow off my back."

He dropped Leah for a moment, taking his bow in his hand, and then picking her back up, piggy-back style. "Geez, girl...you weigh less than my kid sister does. When we make camp tonight, I'll have to hunt something down and we can get some meat on those bones. And no...I don't sprout a monster out of my chest."

He listened to Ki as she spoke, and nodded. "Under the stars is fine, although it'll be dark tonight. I don't think the moon starts waxing until tomorrow night. And I didn't always go shirtless in Salvar...it's sort of a new thing. And I'm sort of attached to my pants."

He chuckled. Shirtless was one thing...pantsless another. Most people were repulsed by that sort of behavior...and he still had a lot of humanity left to him. How long will it last, I wonder? Will I become an animal in time...a monster?

~~~~~~

The scent of rabbits roasting over an open fire was nothing short of delectable. Seth hadn't eaten in a day, and hunting had been good. There was enough meat to roast for tonight and smoke for the journey, and hopefully even some to give as a treat to Ki's kits.

The meat would be ready soon, and Seth was satisfied over that prospect. There was even a cool stream nearby, and he'd caught a couple of fish after setting the hares on the spit.

Now, though, his work was temporarily done, and he laid back on the ground and yawned. The stars sure are pretty...I love new-moon nights.

No sooner had he thought this when he felt a familiar pain in his chest. What?! He sat up like a bolt, examining the horizon. The trees mostly hid it, but it was there. In the east, just barely visible, was the crescent of the waxing moon.

"Oh no..." Seth stood...it wouldn't do to transform around anyone...he didn't know what he would do, and at the start of the waxing moon he was a particular beast. And I'm hungry.

The pain in his chest throbbed to a roar, and he almost doubled over. "Ghkkk..." He glanced at Leah and Ki...doubtless they were wondering what was wrong.

"Please excuse me a while, ladies," he gasped out before running out of the clearing and into the thicker woods.

[Artifex Felicis]

"Yay," the cat girl replied. She grinned, making her arm into the pillow it was once again. With her free arm she slackened the swordbelt once againworming it up so now it hanged on her should and the blade wasn't poking Seth in the back. "No fear of evil stuff appearing in the middle of the night.

Seth was a good mount, reasonibly smooth for only having two legs to stand on and more than comfertable enough for the much smaller cat girl to sleep on. She closed her eyes, enjoying the ride and mentally checking over herself again. She was shorter, and definitly a lot lighter than when she woke up that morning in a diffrent body. On one of the times they stopped to relieve themselves, she fumbled for a second, almost forgetting that girls don't stand. Thankfully neither Ki nor Seth was close enough to see her mistake.

Her mind wandered though, and jerked awake again some time later. The sun was much farther down then when it was when she was bugging Seth to carry her. Not only that, she wasn't even on his back anymore. At least, not all of her. Sleepily she let her arms go, letting her legs support her body as it began to waken and creek from staying in tht position for so long. A tired smile came over her face, eyes closed until her will overcame her desire to shut out all of the light.

It didn't take long, and she quickly began to help with theeir dinner. She didn't do much, but watched Seth as he set up prt and began to cook. When he back was turned, she stole off some of the rabbit. Not much, but enough so the cat girl wouldn't go insane with the cooked meat. She took the same approuch as her more feline cousins. She could suffer the offchance that the meat was dieased for its taste. She swallowed it quickly, enjoying it before Seth turned back and began to work on it again.

She sat back again, waching the man work and passing the time with smalltalk with Ki. The ninetails was fast becoming a ood friend of the cat girl, even if it would be have to end for a bit when she changed back to the way she was. The cat girl figured there had to be someone in Akashima who could help. If not, then she could always just beg one of the more powerful kitsune or tanuki to lend a hand.

Leah's thoughts were whisked away as Seth suddenly seemed to bend over in pain. She whimpered, almost about to ask whether or not he was alright when he suddenly excused himself from the two girls. Leah looked shyly at Ki, wondering just what came over Seth. There was a crackle, and the cat girl, looked back, taking their cooked dinner off of the fire and placing them down on her spare, and a few sizes too large, shirt to cool. Her eyes almost never left where Seth disapeared to, and she could almost fancy hearing strange yelps and growls.

"What, what do you think happened to him?" the cat girl asked her older friend. It was rather easy to pick out that she was the youngest of the three. Still, she almost scuttled closer to the ninetails. "Do you think we should check or wait for him?"

[Reiko]

The smell of the rabbits cooking made Ki's mouth water and also mad the vixen realize she didn't eat since the dinner last night with Leah. "I guess I got too used to having three meals a day." Doji laughed quietly and looked at the clear stars, a perfect night to sleep out. Damn she wish she brought her kits, they would love this trip.

Then things got strange and Seth started acting strange, as if he was in pain and ran off, and Leah asked what was wrong and if they should follow. "I dunno maybe he ate something. No something's worse, we should follow." Ki set off and followed the sounds of the pained archer.

It wasn't hard to follow since he was groaning and growling the whole way, proof that he wasn't setting them up for bandits, which was a bit of a relief but then that meant he was actually sick. It might lead to an awkward scene if it was just a nasty bit of belly sickness but then again that would just be awkward and what ever it was the man was in too much pain to be running on his own.

Finally the fox samurai caught her friend in a clearing. He was breathing heavily and it looked like his skin was crawling as a fuzzy tail was growing out the back and fur was growing out of odd places as well. "You're not human..." Ki whispered as she wondered about another possibility. "...No not a kitsune either." Doji said as she went into a defensive stance.

"Leah! Stay back, he's a Lycanthrope. I don't know what he'll do but I can handle him." The ronin warned her friend as she put her hand near the blade and spoke to Seth hoping she might be able to calm him down.

"Relax, we're friends. We won't hurt you." Doji said softly hoping that she didn't have to fight her friend, it wasn't his fault for this but she wasn't going to let him harm Leah or her. Seth would have to die before he could do anything to the two girls.

[The Archer]

They were coming after him. He could hear them moving through the forest, in his intense pain, everything became clear. His senses sharpened and nothing was a mystery to him.

If only it didn't hurt so much.

Agony ripped through him as his tail sprouted from his backside, and all he could do was hold his arms to himself and whimper. As his head lengthened and flattened, the whimpers resonated more through his sinuses and became more bestial.

Pain still throbbed through him as the changes wrought their way inside. His coat finished growing in, and now his organs were left.

He heard the vixen's voice speaking to him, but couldn't make out what she said. "N-no!" he gasped. "S-stay away. Run! I...c-c-can't...c-control...I d-don't want..."

His last word was drowned in a snarl as the changes finished, and rage blinded him to everything that was human. His eyes, one black and one green, now both shone red -- the bloodlust was in full effect, there would be no negotiating...he was an animal now. A hungry animal.

His ears flattened to his head as he regarded the kitsune before him. No longer did he see a friend, he saw a foe. A foe for bringing a weapon against him...and she was prey. He would tear her flesh from her bones and savor the flavor of her blood.

The lycan-fox lowered his figure near to the ground, baring his teeth and beginning to circle, looking for his opening.

[Artifex Felicis]

Leah was frieghtened. It was the most simple of things, but it gripped her almost loosely. She could move, but not without nearly straining her ears for sounds. She could act, but not without a moment of hesitation that would kill her against a skilled enemy. She paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement with the nine tails to go after their half naked friend. She picked up her sword before following the kitsune, hastily using her large shirt to cover the meat and ward off any creatures that wanted an easy meal.

She gripped the sword tighly in one hand, and a yarn ball from the inside of her jacket in the other. The jacket itself was left back where they made base camp. Still, both of their small weights were comforting to the cat girl, the blade especially so. It was a curious effect. She could probably defeat most of Althanas with her yarn ball, but the length of sharpened metal gave her a larger sense of safety. It was strange, especially since she really only picked the weapon out by basing it on looks.

She followed a few steps behind Ki, ears straining to try and pick out all the sounds around them. The only one that truly seemed to matter was soft, consitent and dreadful. They were whimpers, gasps and pants of pain. The cat girl considered flattening her ears against her head to lesson the sound, but decided against it. It wouldn't help that much. Simply moving her ears would be easy, and while listening to pain was hard, it needed to be done. They came across Seth changing, undergoing a rather painful transformation that probably was the cause of why he was in pain. She recognised it for what it was imediatly.

"I... I never knew it was so... so," Leah began. She didn't finish, instead gulping down the rest ofthe words before they even left her mouth. She was sure she could fight, but she wouldn't win. Her reactions were already slowed, almost paralized by what was happening in front of her. She held her own blade up, still in its sheath. The yarn ball stayed in her hand, and she spoke to her sane friend as Seth began to circle them. The yarn ball unraveled, almost trailing behind her as she moved. "I.. I think I can stop him, if you keep him still for a few seconds. I won't hurt him, but I need a few seconds."

[Reiko]

Ki nodded at Leah hoping she was right for if she wasn’t Doji was sure her only option was to kill her new friend. “I’ll try but I’m not terribly sure how I can keep him still without really hurting him.” Ki said worriedly as she held her blade in a dangerous position.

Ki kept her eyes right on Seth’s and didn’t dare look away for against something feral, looking in the eye and showing no fear would often keep the beast cautious and hesitate the attack but even then the standoff couldn’t go too long or worse would happen. “I’m going in, cover me if you can.”

Doji started by sending a ball of foxfire at the were fox and hoped it would take an evasive maneuver from the blue fireball. Doji quickly rushed in with sword revered and swung the back end with great power.

Ki was hoping a furious blow to the head would slow Seth down or even knock him out; it was her only idea to save her friend. Hopefully with Seth out cold Leah could tie him up or whatever she was planning but then it would matter on if her offense worked out.

[The Archer]

Seth snarled as the flames rushed toward him, but she hoped in vain to hurt him or drive him away. He was smarter than an average fox (although not much, since the first night of transformation was that of the Moon Madness), and he lusted for blood...her blood, and the blood of the cat.

Whichever died, his hunger would be satisfied, his thirst slaked with the sweet tang of hot blood.

He took a running start, leaping over the little fireball and charging back at the vixen. Her blade arced down at him, and he bounced to the side -- not quickly enough to catch the blow to the side of his throat, and he gagged, choking, for a brief moment, before looking back at his prey and beginning to move back in.

[Artifex Felicis]

Fear had an odd taste to it. It was almost like old meat in her mouth, making the cat girl want to spit and try to get it out of her mouth. She knew it wouldn't work, and it was really just her suddenly paying attention to everything. For one, she noticed of soft and quiet the forest was begining to get. She could swear that she could see every leaf on every tree behind the werefox that was and will be her friend. The taste in her mouth was probably the bit of meat she stole earlier, the taste lingering in her mouth.

He paused, watching as Seth attacked Ki, and the nine tails succsessfully retaliated. The girl didn't use her magic, for it would have only been a waste right then. The fox was still moving too quickly for her to capture with her yarn well enough so he wouldn't escape. It would only take a second or two, but the fox was moving too quickly. She moved forward a better position, letting go of the string and simply letting it trail behind her like an obediant dog. She held her sword in front with the sheath still on. She didn't want to have to use her own claws against Seth, especially not if he was wild. They were meant for strikes against prey, and not for other people.

"Just one second," the cat girl repeated, unaware that she was speaking allowed. She bent down, picking up a sizable rock and throwing it almost comically at Seth. She could have probably tied him up easily enough if he charged her. Tripping something of four legs was pretty easy if he came at her at least.

[Reiko]

This was tiring and Ki was running out of patience and soon would pull out all the stops and cut the beasts head off. All this concern for the lycanthrope’s life was taking that edge out of Doji’s work that would have made quick work of him. She and Leah needed something more to win this fight in the way that they wanted. Seth was fast and incredibly agile making it tough for the swordswoman to simple knock him out.

Her tails puffed out and flipped about angrily while she readied herself for a fatal strike. Seth’s next charge would be his last. There was just not another option but him or them and Ki wasn’t going to abandon her kits for some furry she just met. It would be one less danger on the road.

Then again it wasn’t his fault, perhaps there was a way to regain his self-control or cure him. Leah threw a rock but it wasn’t too effective, she didn’t have the strength to accurately throw the stone to hit his head and the were fox was just too mobile on the ground.

Wait they were in a forest and Leah was a cat and Ki was close to the void so her agility was greater than the were fox. There was one more advantage that the vixen ronin could get. “Leah, get up a tree, now!” Ki hoped the kitty girl could climb a tree as well as a cat or had some way to get up.

Ki chose a low-limbed tree that she could jump from limb to limb and get some altitude on the mad fox. Still she wanted to be the focus since she didn’t want Leah to get hurt, and so she drew out her Kirin bow and some cheap arrow and fired at his legs, not wanting to hit but just miss or graze and keep his attention on her and if he went for Leah she then would have no choice but aim for a critical point.

[The Archer]

The rock was thrown clumsily, so it bounced off of Seth's flank...and succeeded in attracting the lycanthrope's attention. He whipped around and snarled, not heeding the language in the kitsune's yell. He'd get her later.

He barely glanced at her as the arrow sunk into the ground at his feet. His canine lips curled back into a snarl, and he stalked slowly toward the little cat girl. He could smell her as he approached...ruggedly sweet.

He leered at her, a carnal and hungry baring of the teeth. She wouldn't last...and her blood would taste so wonderful on his tongue. He was sure she would squeal like a suckling pig when he got hold of her.

Done savoring the thrill of a pre-kill, the lycanthropic fox bunched up his muscles and launched himself toward the little queen.

[Artifex Felicis]

The rock didn't do what the cat girl wanted. She was still scared about Seth's strange transformation. She knew what it was, that much was obvious. The poor guy was a werewolf of some sort, but this was the first time Leah had ever really seen one up close. Then again, the only werewolves the cat girl knew could control the transformation somewhat, and often treated it like undressing. Something that wasn't to be done in the company of others.

The beast began to aprouch her slowly, and Leah began to watch with eyes that didn't entirely include fear. Without Ki there, the small scuffle had changed to one that the cat girl was accustomed to. An old saying popped into her head, something about fighting someone on their own terms. A small giggle escaped her, brought on by the inanity of the thought and the fear that still gripped her. She grinned shakily, blinking her eyes at the beast that was Seth. Her eyes were watery for some reason, and she blinked a few more times, clearing her vision and ready for Seth.

At least as ready as she could be. She bared her own teeth at the man, though no sound escaped her. She was afraid it might be her sobbing. She backed up slowly, towards one of the tree that was behind her. Deft, sure and shaking hands gripped her sword's hilt tightly, holding it ready for Seth's pounce. He didn't seem to be a clever predator, and certainly wasn't used to dealing with predators as prey. Leah swallowed, blinking again and clearing her vision. Then again, he also didn't think of the small cat girl as his friend, and could permanently hurt her, where she would mope about hurting him badly for weeks.

Seth pounced, and Leah was ready, though she was nearly caught by the were-fox's grasping claws. The cat girl stepped forward and to the side easily, dodging most of Seth but for a small nick that cut through the girl's shirt at the shoulder. She already had her sword in its sheath up, and the middle part smashed into Seth's face with more than enough force to make the cat girl's arms buckle and drop the blade. If one looked closely at her, they would have also noticed her closed eyes, screwed tight to prevent herself from seeing anything that she did.

She heard Seth hit the ground, turning on a point and flying up the tree as quickly as a squirrel. She didn't bother to pick up the shiny new sword she had only gotten a few hours earlier, or to see if her strike had connected. She didn't want to be a werewolf, not did the cat girl want to be bitten. She had dropped the sword because something hit it, and that was all. She stopped when she came to a high enough branch. She sniffled a little, controlling the strings that were on the ground near Seth to rise, and attempt to ensnare the werefox's legs.

[Reiko]

“Damn it Leah, get out of there.” Ki felt her voice whisper for now she was afraid for her friend. Leah was not listening to her advice and instead was going toe-to-toe with the enraged were fox. It was bad that she was doing something that Ki decided wasn’t the way to win the fight and Leah was not as good as Ki with the blade, she even dropped the blade.

‘This won’t be good.’ Ki thought grimly as she lined an arrow strait for the mad fox’s heart. It was the only way to save Leah but Ki needed a clear shot, she might accidentally hit the cat girl instead and that wasn’t going to help anyone.

The vixen’s tails flicked about in frustration as well to keep her balance so she would careen off the branch for standing on it. But before Ki could end Seth’s life, a miracle happened. Leah had an ace up her sleeve and in a blind panic used it to entangle Seth’s feet.

Ki had her chance to stop Seth and not take his life. Hopping down from each limb of the tree and taking a few scratches from her hasty decent, Doji charged and bought down the flat of her blade to knock the fox out.

“Leah, let’s get him secured. Good bit of magic, I almost had to kill him to save you. He didn’t hurt you did he?” Doji asked not sure how bad the fight went but she at least knew they won.

The furry girls dragged the unconscious body of their new friend back to camp and made sure he was tied tight to a tree with the magic yarn that Leah used. “I guess he’s turning out to be more trouble than he’s worth. Hopefully he’ll be better when he gets up, at least if he’s still mad we won’t have as much trouble knocking him out. Still if this doesn’t go away we’ll have to kill him before he can harm anymore travelers.” Doji lamented while she kept her sword close and at some of the food they had gathered and cooked and cooked again, no flavor left but she would eat it anyways. “Either way I don’t think he should come with us, I can’t have someone going rabid around my kits.”

[The Archer]

(Bunnies of Seth in the previous two posts approved.)

Seth started coming to not fifteen minutes after they'd gotten him back to camp. He could feel a dull pain at the side of his neck, and another at the back of his head.

Oww...what hit me? ... I'm so hungry.

He let out a low whimper, not yet opening his eyes. He smelled...meat...cooked and raw...and wood smoke. Wood smoke?

He tried to sit up, but found himself restrained and tied tightly to a sturdy tree.

Did I get captured? Wow...I thought that when I was like that no one would dare coming close. If they think they're going to have that all the time, they're wrong...as I'm sure they're about to find out. Ugh...I wonder what they hit me with...and how long I've been unconscious. I'd probably find out if I opened my eyes...but do I really want to do that? Gods, I'm hungry. What if it's poachers after my pelt? Might be for the best...but I'll eat one if they think they're doing anything with me. I'm so hungry I bet I could finish one, too.

The lycan-fox opened his eyes, again their normal black and green, and thought that this little bit of space looked familiar. When he turned his head to see where he was, he found out why. Not far away was the little queen, Leah, and the enchanting kitsune was over by the fire.

"Did the two of you...? Don't tell me you followed me and saw all that!"

How embarrassing...and now they probably thought he was some sort of wild animal.

He rolled onto his side before rocking so he was sitting up, still tightly bound. His tail wagged slightly.

"So...I'm guessing you ladies want an explanation for all this mess? And can one of you untie me? I'm not about to bite you, but I'd like to get my teeth into one of the rabbits I caught earlier."

[Artifex Felicis]

Leah stayed in the tree, only trying to keep the yarn safely tied round the werefox's legs. Her efforts were only needed for a moment, as Ki was able to get down from her tree and knock Seth out with the side of her sword. Leah waited for a minute before coming down cautiously, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. It looked like Seth was done in, but Leah was still worried he might attack. She tightened the bonds around his arms with the yarn, also bounding his legs together to prevent him from really being able to attack the two girls. She doubted he would be able to break its strands.

The cat girl picked up her sword, wiping some of Seth's drool off with a nervous chuckle. She put the sword so is hanged off her back, then helped Ki as the two of them began to carry Seth back to their camp. the little cat girl was a lot stronger then most would have thought upon looking at her. It was only after Seth was died to a tree with the remaining yarn did the cat girl breath a sigh of relief. She was still shaken up from the attack. She moved to where their food was, motioning over for Ki to follow before handing her some of the meat.

It was well cooked, a bit too much for the cat girl's taste, but it was cold and somewhat stringy. She managed to get a few pieces down, more so trying to calm herself down from what had happened. It didn't take long for Seth to wake up however, and the little cat girl visibly jumped when she heard his voice. She simply stared at the werefox, and though Leah couldn't see his face, his tail made him seem like he was grinning like a loon. She blinked a few times, picking up some of her meat and a smaller stick.

She went to where he was sitting, placing the smaller bit on meat onto the stick and holding it up to his mouth. "Sorry, but we need to be careful," Leah commented. She grinned a little, hoping that her eyes weren't noticeably red. "But I'd rather talk to someone with a full stomach. Less chance of you trying to attack us even if you did say you wouldn't."

[Reiko]

Ki smiled while she looked at Seth, he was up and not succumbing to madness. Not to mention that Leah’s act of feeding Seth was hilarious. The way she held out the meat on a stick forced Ki to try and stifle a giggle. It was good that things were lighthearted now but still had to be careful.

“Yeah, I’m afraid Leah will have to feed you for now. We spent too much work capturing you to just let you go. Well maybe if we have a better idea what made you go nuts? Sorry but I almost had to kill you and I don’t want that.” Ki’s heart now sank a little; this was serious.

“But never mind, eat some and we can talk and let you go if we feel you are safe.” Ki ate some of her rabbit and chewed it while perking her ears; all the birds were silent as the three fighting scared them off. “I’m really sorry about this. But I just don’t want anyone getting hurt. You could have killed someone or got yourself killed back there. I just want to be sure.” Ki smiled reassuringly at Seth.

[The Archer]

Seth nodded as Ki explained why they weren't letting him go just yet, and took the piece of meat Leah was holding out to him between his teeth and swallowing it.

"You really weren't supposed to follow. I'd have given a bit of an explanation beforehand...but I was expecting it to still be the new moon tonight, for some reason. Anyway...as I suppose is fairly obvious now, I'm a lycanthrope...a fox, to be precise, although I don't know if there are any special terms for a werefox. For most of the month I'm in the form you see me in now...halfway between beast and man. During the full moon, I become a full fox...that weights as much as a man, so I don't tend to move. During the new moon, I'm restored to my humanity for the two or three days that her light doesn't shine down. When I change back into this form, I go into a moon rage, I guess...no desire but to kill and eat. It lasts an hour or so...or until I come to after being knocked out."

He grinned at Ki, careful to not show too many teeth.

"When the rage wears off, I'm in full control of myself again, and no real threat to anyone."

[Artifex Felicis]

Leah giggled as Seth took the meat, knowing almost immediatly that the fox was not the same beast that he was less than an hour before. She put down the stick, sitting next to Seth as he began to explain what his particular lyncanthropy was. It made a lot more sense then the one Leah knew of. then again, he was also a victim, and was not born into his changings. Her tail swished from side to side, waiting for him to finish.

She chewed a little on some of her meat, mostly just to keep herself occupied. Normally she would have been playing with on of the yarn balls she owned, but they were being used to keep Seth tied down just in case. She was reasonably sure that the he wouldn't attack, but there was the nagging doubt.

She turned to face Ki. "Well, I can let him go, but it's up to you," she began. She smiled and little, rolling over and getting another bit of meat to chew on for a bit. It was tough, and fairly tasteful. Still, each piece wasn't exactly cooked equally, and the piece that was currently in the cat girl's mouth was a little undercooked compared to the pther pieces. "I think we should though."

[Reiko]

Ki thought of the dangers for a moment. Seth seemed to be sane now and he seemed to be honest too but if he got free and went mad then there would be hell to pay. But everything seemed to be alright and there was no one around. Or if there was bandits around then having a third person to help would make things all that easier. Even though Ki could fight of an entire camp of bandits on her own, having Seth tied up wasn't going to do any good.

"Okay, I trust you, let him go Leah." Ki said and smiled at the pair wagging her nine tails. "Just keep control of yourself or give us warning, I don't want you running off and killing innocents." the nine tails would hate to have her friends hands bloody because she couldn't keep control of him.

"And I really mean for you to give us warning, where we're going is to my home and I don't want you endangering my children. So I need to know you won't just going running off to be alone before going mad. I just need to know if you can trust me enough to tell me so we can prevent you from harming innocents."

Ki then shook her head. "This is getting to serious, we just met so we should be having fun. I'm probably the most boring woman in the world." Ki giggled and smiled to show he was kind of joking. "I guess we might just get some sleep; I'm sure we're all tired from that escapade."

[The Archer]

Bunny of Leah approved and partially demanded.

As Leah set Seth free, the werefox stretched out and recoiled abruptly as her little fingers stabbed in to tickle his side.

"Hey!"

That done, he took a bigger chunk of meat and held over the fire so it could cook. She trusted him around her and Leah...well, honestly, if he couldn't hurt them in a Rage, he couldn't hurt them ever. But around kits...he could understand her concern.

"Really, I'll be normal for roughly two weeks. At the full moon, I change into a full fox, and when she starts waning, I turn into a half form and Rage. At the new moon, when she's weakest, I revert to my human form. When she starts waxing again...well, you just saw. I try to stay away from settlements when the moon is close to changing. I promise, no danger to your children."

He shook his head, his ears falling back melancholicaly.

"The first time I went into a rage, I almost killed three people...a child among them. I'd sooner let a hunter sell my pelt as a coat than risk harming another person. It's why I tried to get away from the two of you when I felt the transformation pains coming on. You followed, and that I am not responsible for...although I am glad you were able to subdue me."

The lycanthrope sighed. It wasn't an easy life, and maybe they would ask him to leave once they got to Akashima. It would be normal, he decided. Who would ever really want to be accompanied by a beast like him. He bit into the rabbit, but it tasted awful...dead too long to fully retain its flavor.

He was silent for a while after Ki mentioned sleep, the words not having registered as he thought.

"You ladies get some sleep. We aren't far off the main road, so I'll stay up a while. If anyone decides he wants to bother us, I'll scare him off."

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl giggled at little at Seth's reaction to her tickling him. It felt good to actually smile again without it being forced. Her eyes were still a little red, and probably puffy. Along with the rush from Seth's transformation leaving her body, Leah was quickly becoming far more tired then she had been in a while. Still, it was kind of funny seeing Seth all fuzzy instead of his handsome human self.

She kept her silly grin, saluting Seth with all the millitary dicsipline of a child. A yawn escaped the little girl, louder then one might have thought. It gave a comical image to the girl as she closed her mouth again. She almost would have curled up right there if she didn't have a better place to sleep. Still, she sat back for a second, legs sprawled in front of her and tail thrumming on the ground behind her. She liked the limb. It wasn't prehensile, but she could very loosely grasp things with it, and it helped for balance at times too.

She let herself slide back, stretching and arching her back a little as another yawn escaped her. "I think I need sleep," she remarked, her eyes half closing as she enjoyed the slight burn of stretching. She didn't really listen to Seth's small little tirade. It wasn't that she didn't care, it's just the the cat girl's mind was too tired to handle much more. She stopped stretching, rolling over and onto her chest, then crawling over a few feet towards Ki.

She reached out, selecting one of the nine tails' iconic limbs, rubbing it softly for a second before resting her head on the fuzzy limb. She yawned again, softer this time before adjusting her body to be a little bit more comfy. Everything was taken care of that the cat girl knew of. She even purred a little, feet rubbing together a little as she adjusted herself, mumbling a good night to her other two companions. The girl was asleep a moment later.

[Reiko]

Ki listened to Seth as he spoke about his “rage.” He suffered the lunacy of a Lycanthrope and it was probably best for her to know this. One thing was certain that she trusted the were fox. Still having someone go into a murderous rage at any time even if predictable was not a good thing. “That’s good to know. Though something needs to be done about your rages, sooner or later it’ll cause real trouble.”

Doji was serious but ended up giggling when she felt one of her tails being pulled to make a pillow for Leah. Sure the other night the same thing happened but with some more private exchanges. That thought made Ki blush a little as she tried to adjust her self to get to a comfortable place to sleep but she had trouble and got back up.

“I’m afraid I’m not going to bed quite yet, too much adrenaline, I guess.” Ki smiled at Seth. “Is there anything I could do to help. I’m sure there would be a way to solve points when you go insane.” Doji offered partially to make conversation and hope that Seth would accept. “In the least I could keep an eye on you so you don’t take any innocent lives. I would hate for you to hurt anyone with out knowing it.” The vixen stretched a bit as she started to wind down.

“If you get a bit tired or feel like you’re losing control, just wake me up. I’ll take second watch if you want. You know I can handle any bandits or wolves that want to eat us. You should get some sleep too.” Ki said as she positioned herself so some grass made a pillow, not as good as a tail but it worked and she would soon fall asleep. She really did trust Seth to do such a thing.

[The Archer]

The werefox sighed, watching as the two women went to sleep. He hoped they slept soundly, for other than what he'd gotten when they'd knocked him out, he knew he wouldn't be sleeping any more that night. He'd come far, far too close to doing someone some serious damage...and more the shame that it had been so close, because these two were the first people to really associate with him, at least in his fox form, since first he'd transformed. His parents had sent him away with little more than his bow and quiver, thank the Thayne he'd had pants on.

But his targets had been people in his own household...his father, older sister Serena, and youngest sister Bela, only eight years old. Even had his family forgiven him and not chased him away, he would have left. He couldn't afford to hurt them -- or anybody -- due to a lapse of control, even if it wasn't his fault.

He sighed, seeming to deflate as he looked into the flames, and he felt his ears tilt back dejectedly. Ever since...ever since it started, he'd been a vagabond...he didn't even have his name anymore. He didn't know who he was or where he belonged...and his old family...all he could do was think about them now.

He looked up at the sky, seeing the hateful moon winding its path across the night sky. Was his father looking at that same sky now? His mother? His sisters? His poor father, having lost his only son...the same for his mother, come to think of it. His mother had taken special pains to raise him the way a boy should be raised, since she'd had no other sons. What of his twin sister Danica? He and she had been so close, from before the day they were born until the day that he'd transformed. He'd seen girls, and she'd seen guys...but even though they were both in their twenties now, neither of them had married...they just couldn't pull apart from the other twin enough to commit to another person.

Maybe now she'll marry...and I hope she can be happy.

The big black were-fox heaved a heavy sigh, and kept his watch until dawn started breaking over the trees, at which point he nudged the women gently with a paw.

"Come on, ladies. It's morning already, let's eat something and get back on the road."

[Artifex Felicis]

Dreams were funny things. On one hand they could just be a strange garble of ideas and thoughts that the mind gave a vision to, and worked out inside of someone's head. On the other hand they were known to be prophetic about the future, and give rare insights into someone's mind. Nearly every culture that the girl knew of had something that had to do with dreams. Most of the time it seemed as though there was a sub-culture based around them as well.

Leah was happy in her dream, though for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was. Most of that happiness left and was replaced by a dull, fuzzy anger when something suddenly ended her sleep,

The cat girl grumbled a little as she felt something prod her. It didn't help that her tail was far too warm as well. She kept the illusion up though, nuzzling and digging her head into her fuzzy and soft pillow. Of course, when the pillow was pulled from under her she needed to move a little. Still she stayed where she was for a moment, groaning and working up the courage to open her eyes. It was the problem with sleeping well and having a good dream. She didn't want it to end.

The cat girl sat up slowly, yawning and staring blankly as she struggled to jump start her mind. It didn't work, and she stretched instead, limbering her muscles up and enjoying the slight burn that came with it. She didn't really speak, mostly yawning and looking at her companions. She wasn't exactly a morning person by choice in any stretch.

[Reiko]

Ki slept like a rock, the restful deep sleep where dreams did not venture. She was pretty tired from fighting with Seth, trying to find a non-lethal way to subdue him made the fight much harder thanks to a were fox’s regeneration and stamina. But after he calmed down Ki trusted him to keep watch and sleep. It was her intuition that said he was ok and Ki’s intuition was better than most so she trusted it, also he smelled trustworthy.

She actually was awake before Leah but chose to stand still and look at Seth, though she feigned sleep and listened to the morning birds sing. Seth was quiet and contemplating. Doji wondered over what, maybe remorse over going mad or something but it was probably serious the way he looked when she peeked but soon he roused Leah and her. It was relieving to have the cat gill off but when it wagged the tail that Leah used as a pillow hurt.

“I slept well, but my tails are stiff this time around. Oh I can’t wait ‘til I’m in my bed and not being one.” Doji giggled as she stretched and looked around. The forest was familiar. Taking closer details there was a tree with blackened bark and seemed to fork.

“Hey I know this tree. We’re really close. I think we could reach my home by lunch if we don’t dally too much.” The nine tails groaned as her tails instinctively swished, they were still stiff and would probably stay that way for a couple of hours.

[The Archer]

Seth yawned, shaking out his ruff. He had another half a day before he was no longer needed and they asked him to leave. That would be fair, he decided, as he started extinguishing the fire. Doji had kits, and it would be wrong to risk their exposure to his Rage.

He stretched out, listening to the crackings of joints as they protested movement after so much stillness (and after transformation), and dusted off his hands.

"By lunch time, eh? Another half a day to spend in the company of two extremely lovely ladies." He gave them a gentle grin, careful to not show too many teeth. He'd learned early on that too many teeth was frightening to other people, and he did his best to keep the two ladies at their ease. After the previous evening...it was the least he could do.

"I can tell, Lady Ki, that you are eager to return to your domicile," he continued, picking up his bow and attaching his quiver at his hip. "Therefore, let us not tarry here further, let us go forward, and return you to your family, a little worse for wear perhaps, but such is the way of the road."

Yeah...still a cheeseball.

[Artifex Felicis]

The sun was just begining to warm up the day as the cat girl woke up. The heat, at first making her sleepy, made her uncomfortable with keeping her eyes closed. It was a good thing about balance, you didn't really waver when you stood. On the other side though, there were one or two times when Leah had managed to fall asleep standing up.

She groaned a little, rubbing her eyes and collecting the single sword that she had. It was the only thing that she had on her at he time anyway. Everything else could be found. A stream for water, a rabbit for breakfast. It wasn't like she was hungry though, she never really was when she first woke up.

"You're comfy," Leah said aloud to the kitsune. She ran her fingers through her own short hair, trying to tame some of it from sleeping on it wrong. some of it was poofy and sticking out, and she was annoyed at her shadow for looking so silly. She grinned at Seth, whose words flew right through the cat girl's tired mind. She never liked waking up, mostly because she never could do it quickly. She yawned, showing pointy teeth and stretched again, holding her hands above her head.

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Leah said slowly, working her mouth around the words saying them carefully. She was also in a habit of not speaking well when it came to tradespeak. Then again, it also wasn't her first language. Though that hardly matters. She was nearly fluent. She just thought in a more native style of speech then tradespeak. "Lead on my wayward friends. I'll just shuffle along until my mind is awake."

[Reiko]

Ki smiled hearing worse for wear from Seth. “Oh it’s nothing a bit of soaking in the hot spring won’t fix.” Ki said as she straitened out her kimono and smiled at the tired looking Leah. “Looks like someone’s not a morning person.” Doji snickered as she led the way; Leah seemed ready after a light breakfast and some hasty grooming.

She knew the road well and the trees to her home and the time flew as they talked and walked. The place was pretty but too familiar to the fox woman, she kind of wondered if she could change the layout outside her home, make the forest snowy in summer or something like that. It would be a fun treat for the kits that have barely seen snow.

“Well I guess you get to meet my children today, feel free to stay the night or even awhile, it gets a little lonely out here.” Ki said as she saw her house in the distance. Doji figured that waiting wasn’t going to be as fun. From the house Ki could hear a crash and the sliding door violently slide open and the Kits running out towards Ki with their tails wagging full force.

They charged their mother and pounced on her, knocking the nine-tailed woman to the ground with them all giggling. Once Ki was able to right herself she pointed out her children. “This is Ryo and Chiyo, my kits.”

“Hi…” Chiyo said shyly while Ryo stayed quiet. “Nice to meet ya.” Chiyo bowed and Ryo giggled slightly.

“Wow you have more fur than mommy!” Ryo said at last as he ran to Seth to feel the fur. “But you don’t have as many tails though but it looks like one of mommy’s.” The boy said as he curiously.

Chiyo went to Leah and smiled at the kitty. “So you’re mommy’s new friend?” She asked and smiled to the cute cat girl. “Can you be my friend too?” The young vixen asked with a bit of a blush and Ki couldn’t help but smile.

“Um, kits, what happened to the girl that was watching you?” Ki said as she looked around.

“Umm, I think she ran off. The magic didn’t quite work right and she turned back into a bunny.”

“Oh?” Ki said as she blushed, seemed that rabbits were horrid shape shifters and couldn’t hold a form, this one got scared being around foxes and fled. “Guess I should have had someone else look after them.” Ki admitted. “Anyways, make yourself at home, don’ mind the mess.” Ki left the home clean but was sure the kits would make a mess while she was gone.

[The Archer]

((Sorry for the wait, I totally forgot it was my turn.))

So while the kits had been left with someone, eventually they had to fend for themslees. This made Seth thankful both that he'd been unsuccessful in his attempt to kill the kitsune mother and that the journey back hadn't taken long. He smiled, starting to step away and take his leave. Even though the kitsune woman had invited him to stay a little, he was sure she really didn't want anyone potentially dangerous around her children. Whether or not he liked it...he was potentially dangerous. So he'd be happy he was able to see Ki and Leah to the little house and just be on his merry way.

At least, that was the plan. No sooner had he started to back away than the young male, Ryo, came up and started examining his pelt.

"Err...well...I'm a different kind of fox than your mother," Seth explained as the kit started pulling at his tail. "I only get one tail...and a lot of fur. Helps to stay warm, you know."

"What kind of fox are you?" asked Ryo as he started clambering curiously over the kitsune's back and shoulders. Seth endured being climbed over -- he actually hadn't expected as tolerant a greeting.

"I'm a werefox. A lycanthrope. Means I got bitten by an infected fox once and haven't been the same ever since. I'm a bit new to the whole lycanthropy thing, so I lack the control others of the race have."

"There are more? Are they your family?"

"Well...no. Up until a few months ago, I was a human. Had a human family. But they didn't want to risk me biting anyone else -- biting people is rude, you know -- so they asked me to go out on my own for a little while, until I had more control." The last part was, of course, a lie, but how do you tell a child that just because you'd changed, your parents and sisters didn't want you anymore?

"Well, maybe my mommy can help you learn control. My mommy's smart."

Seth chuckled. "I've been learning that since I met your mother. And she's strong, too."

"What's the bow for?" asked the kit as he noticed the longbow slid across Seth's back.

"I'm a hunter, so I use it for hunting."

"Can you teach me?"

"Well...let's see what your mom says first, huh?" Seth grinned. Ryo reminded him of one of his nephews -- his favorite nephew, although he could never admit it aloud.

[Artifex Felicis]

The walk to the home was enough to rouse the cat girl from the rest of her sleep, and soon enough she had her mind clear and body rested from the night. The walk was fun, and they thankfully soon came to Ki's home. Still, the small talk was nothing compared to seeing the smaller home in the distance open up and two small, furry shapes bolting out from it. They took the girl by surprise, but she was more ready for them then when Seth changed from his ailment.

She couldn't help but smile and relax the moment she saw the two little kids. After they finished hugging their mother, it was pretty obvious that they had a resemblance to their mother. They had passed that awkward age where children are helpless, but still held onto the same cuteness that would get them spoiled rotten. Still, they looked almost like smaller version of their mother, with a single tail. The boy was somewhat more masculine and wild, but the girl was more pristine. The cat girl wondered about their family, as her hair was a little bit different then her mother's or her brother's more brown hair.

"I guess so," Leah replied to the smaller fox girl. The girl kept her grin on her face, bending on her knees and allowing her tail to swish happily from side to side. The little fox girl was shy, but it was cute to see her like that. "And I think I could be your friend. You're too cute not to be a friend Chiyo."

The little fox girl blushed at that, keeping her small face red. Even without paying attention to the other kit, Leah could tell by the sound of his voice he was a bit more outgoing. "Where did you meet mommy?"

"In Radenseth actually," Leah said. She held up a finger, rummaging for a moment through her small bag, pulling out a small and sweet hard candy for Chiyo. She gave it to her, grinning and almost having to coax the girl into taking the sweet. "I was in a spot of trouble, and she helped me out. We got some food, and decided that I might as well come to meet you and your brother."

"Cool," the little kit replied, putting the little candy into her mouth after inspecting it for a moment. She seemed a little apprehensive at first about the sweet, but she smiled in hat way only kids can after tasting it. "What happened?"

"I was caught off guard a little, with a little bit of girl trouble you could say," Leah replied. He ruffled Chiyo's hair. The cat girl picked her up in her arms and held her, walking her over to her mother before gently putting her back dow cat girl's face ruffled Chiyo's hair again, and she could see a slight blush on her face. The girl was cute, and Leah herself knew that refusing her anything would be a little tough. It was even harder when the same kit wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist in a hug.

"Anyways," Leah said, resting her hands of Chiyo's shoulders. "How about we go inside or something?"

[Reiko]

Ki smiled as she watched her kits converse with her new friends. They were getting along so well that it warmed the vixen's heart. And to think it was only a little while ago that the swordswoman had to fight off Seth as he went mad, but that was only at certain lunar phases and so it would be a little while.

Still Ki had to laugh at Ryo for wanting to learn archery from Seth. "What... how come you don't want to learn archery from mommy?" Ki said with a smirk showing that she heard him.

"But Seth's bow is bigger and he's a man. I want to learn a man's archery!" Ryo said trying to sound tough. "You're tough but you use a shorter bow and you're a girl so it's girl's archery!"

Ki giggled at her child for his unknowing sexism. "I don't think you should worry about the gender of the teacher. And the smaller bow is a very special bow carved from the bone of a Kirin that I received when I found out i loved your father. You shouldn't concern yourself with size. Oh and stop thinking lowly of girls, it's not very gentlemanly, right Seth?" The nine tails winked at the werefox and moved to Leah and Chiyo.

"Yeah I'm heading inside, still tired from last night. You two can join me." Doji smiled as she loosed her sword and held it over her shoulder. "Just don't give her too much candy or tell her too much about girl trouble. I'm not ready to explain it."

"Mommy, what is girl trouble?" Chiyo asked and Ki smiled.

"I told you I'm not ready to explain it. Now just don't eat too much candy. I'm cooking after my nap."

"Aww, I'm not eating that much candy." Chiyo said as she took another bite of the sweets.

"Then I better not hear that you're not hungry." The ronin smiled as she headed to her room for a nap. Removing her kimono and Slipping under the sheets, Ki was able to have some nice dreams in the day.

(a set of 12 Delyn arrows that have an antimagic charm to break through defensive magic)

[The Archer]

Seth's ear twitched as Ki addressed him, then hastened to reinforce it. Why, he wasn't quite sure -- but it probably came from years of having his older sisters telling him things to tell their sons.

"Yeah...it's...yeah, listen to your mother, kid. It's not gentlemanly to think lowly of girls. Anyway, how about that archery lesson?"

As Ki went in to take a nap, Seth set up a target on a nearby tree and started giving Ryo the basic tips on how to aim and hold a bow. The only problems Ryo had were that Seth's bow was longer than he was tall, and he lacked the strength to give it a good pull.

"It's impossible!" the kit shouted, and Seth chuckled.

"No, it's a sturdy oak longbow. When I was your age, I couldn't draw it either. But now that I'm a grown man, and have been practicing for years..."

The lycanthropic fox nocked an arrow, pulled it back, and let it fly, hitting the target dead center, much to the kit's astonishment.

"You'll get it someday, kid."

Spoils:

Moon Rage: When changing back into his hybrid form from his Fox or Human form, Seth goes into an uncontrolled rage driven by the lycanthrope's need to hunt and devour live prey. At that time, he cannot recognize friend from foe, and will attack anything that moves. He may go into a lesser form of a Rage in times of great personal danger, but he will only attack threats and can fight to regain control of himself at risk of provoking another attack.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat girl's cheeks were red when the older vixen mentioned girl trouble. She never even realized when the words left her mouth that those two little words meant more then just ill-fitting clothes. It was an awkward subject, and not one anyone probably felt comfortable explaining. Especially not to someone as young as Chiyo.

"What is girl trouble?" Chiyo asked Leah again after the others were gone. Leah wasn't one for going outside, and ended up exploring some of the nine tails' den with interest. The pair got through a few rooms of conversation before Chiyo brought it up again. Most of her belongings were left in a storage room that seemed to appear closer to the entrance.

"How about this. I make lunch and we play a game, and you ask me later when you think you have it," Leah said sweetly. She bent down to look at the younger girl in the eyes. Leah's hair was a closer color of white then the kit, but it was a nice thing to see her own hair color again.

"I'll show you the kitchen and then we can play," Chiyo replied quickly. Her small hand grabbed Leah's larger hand fiercely, and began to pull her through the house. Both of them were grinning by the time they reached the kitchen, and didn't stop for quite some time.

((Spoils!

Red Jian - A 30" double edged straight blade. A curious enchantment, the two pound blade feels like twenty to all those other then Leah who hold it.This includes those being struck by it. Mod choice for material.))

[Skie and Avery]

I'm going to say right here and now that I did perhaps judge this a little more harshly than I would have judged the same thread by newer members. Two of you are judges, and the third of your party has been around long enough to know the rubric by now. Just because this thread was started and finished before one or both of you started judging is inconsequential in my book. I fell asleep reading this. Length had nothing to do with it. Despite my short nap, I had the entire thing read in a few hours. I don't mind long quests, as long as they're good quests. All three of you could do better, and I'm very disappointed with what I read.

Story

Continuity: 6 - This was okay. Over the course of the thread, I managed to get enough to satisfy my questions, but I still feel that a better job could have been done.

Setting: 2 - All three of you have been around long enough to know better. The lack of effort I saw in this thread was irritating. Only once did I see a real use of the setting, with the treetop safety from Seth's transformation. The way it was presented made me feel like I was reading a thread written by stoners. "No setting, no setting no setting....Dude...we're like....in a forest. With trees and stuff... Let's like...totally use them for two posts."

Pacing: 3 - It wasn't until post 35 that anything interesting happened. The meeting between Doji and "Leah" did absolutely nothing to hold my interest and I found myself yawning and forcing my hand away from Firefox's tab command and Kingdom of Loathing. You HAVE to keep the reader interested in the filler that comes between action scenes. Stuffing it full of inane crap and repeating damn near the same sentences over and over is only going to make the reader fall asleep.

Character

Dialogue: 4 - The only character whose dialogue had any style or substance to it was The Archer. Guys, you have to use what and how your character speaks to show their personality. Whether it's a low drawl, a broken affinity for Tradespeak or even a very formal mannerism in the voice, everyone has something about their voice or slang that tells so much about them. From listening to most people talk for a couple of minutes, you can usually tell if they're from a foreign country, how educated they are or even what part of a country they're from, with the slang they use. They don't have to, or need to, speak the way you narrate.

Action: 5 - Nothing really special here. I think everyone's actions were pretty much in character, but then again everything that happened was pretty run of the mill. There were some things that made me double check an earlier post or raise my eyebrow in a "Que?" kind of way. Leah acted like a coward alot, but then went toe to toe with a monster Seth. Doji, the protective mother, was more concerned about the mess in the house than the fact that the kids had been left alone and went from being in love with Leah to worrying about fighting with her over Seth. Let's not get into how easily the girls trusted him again once he'd "come down" from his little hissy fit.

Persona: 6 - Seth seemed to like to jump between flirtatious and reserved a lot, but perhaps it was just the events that surrounded his stay with the girls. I thought that Leah was a little naive for being Leon with girly bits. If there was a brain chemistry change, you didn't explain it well enough to make it clear. WTF kind of mom wouldn't freak to learn her children's babysitter had run off while she'd been off shopping? DHS should pay a visit with some freaking social workers. =P Get those neglected children in foster care now.

Writing Style

Mechanics: 4 - Artifex, you know you have a problem with spelling. Why didn't you use spellcheck for this? I saw mistakes that were beyond typing "form" instead of "from" and a spellchecker not catching the mistake because it's technically spelled correctly. Reiko switched between present and past tense, and there's a bit of a problem with run on sentences. You all seemed to improve a little as the thread progressed, but not much.

Technique: 4 - Artifex and Reiko, your styles are jerky and clumsy in alot of your posts. Smoothing out the way the narration goes would do wonders with how easy it is to read your writing. Reading sentences out loud will work wonders, I promise. Archer, a paragraph is more than one or two sentences. There are times when exceptionally short paragraphs are part of the technique, to draw attention to a very particular point or image, but to habitually do it just makes your writing look amateur at best. All of you need more sensory details. Not just internally, but the world around you. This ties in with your Setting scores for this thread. Every thread needs to HAVE to take place there. Force your reader into the place you want them to be. Never ever leave things to their imagination.

Clarity: 5 - There were times in this thread where I had to reread over and over again before I got a clear idea of what was going on. They weren't numerous, but the simple fact that with three seasoned Althanians I had to backtrack, scratch my head and then lay my head on the desk and cry a little, it's just unacceptable.

Wild Card: 2 - For the love of Bananarama, two of you are judges. You should know the rubric. I know all three of you can do so much better when you put forth the effort, and the fact that for your requests you seemed to blunder along without much care to the quality you were putting forth just really disappoints me. Also, Reiko and Artifex: You held out on me when it came to the lesbian sex. For this, I shall never forgive you. Ever. =P

Total: 41

Artifex Felicis receives 1991 EXP and 426 GP. He loses the collar, gains the enchanted sword in Damascus, with the following changes to the enchantment. The sword does indeed feel like 20 lbs to any who hold it, but to those being struck by it, it only adds an extra 5 lbs of weight to the strike. The weight it adds can be upped at character updates, but only at a rate of 2 additional lbs per level.

Reiko receives 2526 EXP and 410 GP. She gains 6 Delyn tipped arrows with requested anti-magic enchantment. Arrows will only keep the enchantment until shot from a bow. While if the arrows are intact and retrieved, they can be reused, once shot they are no longer enchanted. Please remember to keep count as you use them, and congratulations on reaching Level 8!

The Archer receives 456 EXP and 275 GP. He also receives the Moon Rage stasis. Please do not forget to add this to your next character update.

[Letho]

EXP/GP added! Reiko, welcome to the next level.