Before we begin!

I have A LOT of problems with the original material of this story. The American Kitsune series by Brandon Varnell (or the Engulfing Silence here on fanfiction) is a series I have a lot of beef with. Having that said, there are a few things I like, such as the characters... even if some of them are literally ripped from Daneel Rush's Naruto Genkyouien.

For example, I like the main character. He's a very good main character with a lot of flaws. Even better, he's a complete mundane teenage boy. There is literally nothing special about him and I absolutely love it. And I'll keep loving it until we find out he has some sort of monster DNA spliced with his own because of some mysterious scenes regarding his father Good Varnell keeps bringing up.

Lilly, the primary love interest, is also one of the few I like. I really hated her at the start of the series but grew very satisfied when she started to mature and her character was fleshed out. She's mostly depicted as this REALLY hot girl until you see moments she just Netflix and chills with the MC. I like that there's more than her good looks and to be this unbelievable hotty the MC miraculously scores. I also like how there's a genuine reason WHY they get together.

Above all, I love the relationship both Kevin (the MC btw) and Lilly have. It's a genuine relationship with all the ups and downs. Granted it was a little rushed but I can excuse it on part of Keven's inexperience as well as Lilly's tenacity.

Unfortunately, everything else about this story is just... ugh. I'm mostly upset because the story didn't really drive me until Book 4. Seriously, it took me a year to finish Book 3 because I would get upset every other chapter and need to take a break from it.

There's a rich world-sized lore in the series. Mostly in the background aside from a few name drops. That I enjoy but wish to see more of it aside from Kevin and Lilly's tongue wrestling.

This is my review/rant of the story. I'd go into more detail but I'd like to tell Mr. Varnell himself... who has told me he will NOT be reading this story in order to maintain his professional detachment to fanfiction. Which saddens me.

Honestly, who DOESN'T want to read their own fanfiction?! I plan on being a published author for this reason alone!

Moving on; like all other stories I really do enjoy, I decided to make a story of my own out of it. And here it is. And, naturally, because I like Kevin so much, I decided to replace him with his exact opposite. Mostly to see how the rest of the cast deal with my chosen character. By no means is he out of the story entirely. I have plans for him to show up again later on with a few surprises.

Now for those still reading this note, I will be writing this story as though nobody has any context at all regarding both original sources (both mine and Good Varnell's). Therefore, all American Kitsune and Synthesis lore will be explained completely with the assumption every reader present is new to both series. If there is something you do not understand, this was intentional and will be explained in some point in time when it is most critical. However, as I am not perfect and am still learning, please do ask questions just in case I miss something. Thank you.

Here's my take on the story. And like all the others I post on this forum, don't expect frequent updates.

Either way, please enjoy.

Now then, as I'm contractually obliged to say this from now on...

ON WITH THE SHOW!

"So… you're back," Coralynne Stradt opened with. It wasn't the most eloquent way to start the conversation, but the young man in front of her was as simple as he was blunt.

"I'm back," he replied just as eloquently. He raised his mug of beer and brought it to his lips. "Not exactly the best way to tell you, right?"

A grunt escaped his lips while she tried to withhold the sigh. He was probably back in peak physical condition while she was still aching from all the bruising. Her magic had healed the worst wounds but she had exhausted her magical reserves in the catastrophe as well as the cleanup.

It wasn't the heartwarming reunion she had been expecting. But she was just glad he showed up then and there. Who knows how worse things would have gotten if he hadn't?

Now that things had calmed down, they sat in the noisy and obnoxious pizza parlor he so favored. The food was good and the drinks were always cold, but the children playing in the arcade was going to drive her crazy.

"You've been gone for a year," she continued. "What happened? With what that… thing was, I didn't think you'd be back. None of us did."

"Yeah, well," he placed his mug down and adjusted his seating. "It's gone. I took care of it."

"But what happened?" she pressed.

"…I dropped the illusion," he answered, gesturing at his face. "That thing was the exact same thing I am underneath all of this. I took it head-on, the World didn't like that very much and ejected us out of this reality. We were tumbling around in I guess what you can call the… space between spaces? We were just all over the fucking place."

She recalled the incident that had him vanished. Memories replayed in her mind. Several other questions she had were answered in his testimony.

"It took you an entire year to fight that thing?" she asked next.

"Fuck if I know," his brows furrowed. "Time exists differently in another World. And when you're outside or in-between Worlds, time doesn't exist at all. I can say I was consciously aware and that it took me a few minutes to put that thing down. But how long exactly that was? Don't know.

"In any case, what took me so long to get back was… well, you can say I got lost. The omniverse isn't like a piece of land I can track. It's a constantly shifting nexus full of threads going over and under and around. I was hopping around other Worlds, trying to figure out how to get back here."

Her eyes widened. Imagine that, he had been able to achieve something even the greatest of Archmagi were unable to accomplish. He had been able to visit parallel universes. And he had mentioned this so casually as though he could do it again. As easily as walking across the street.

Knowing him, he probably could.

"What were they like?" her curiosity rose.

He had wanted to say something. It was his turn to ask her about her end. She could see it in his eyes. But, perhaps it was her curiosity, he closed his mouth and considered her question.

"Same, different, exotic, boring, and everything else you can think of," he muttered dryly. He bobbed his head around as he considered further. "There was one World where a specific breed of people were kept as pets, no better than how we treat dogs here. The pets act like pets too. And the dominant people don't believe they're intelligent. Fucking hell, I couldn't tell the difference between the two sometimes."

"So like a Planet of the Apes scenario?" her head tilted to the side. "Did you find a Planet of the Apes, by the way?"

"No but I found a World of shrimp," he told her before drinking his beer some more. "It was really boring. I visited Worlds that had zombie apocalypses, Lovecraft abominations active and just as twisted as the stories, places where man had yet to discover fire but instead discovered something else and thus have their technology so vastly different compared to our own… Oh!

"I met my female self. We got our freak on before you ask."

She closed her mouth. She was just about to ask him, teasingly of course.

"And, evidently," his expression soured as he growled, "I reached as far as what is known as the Furthest Future. It's practically beyond the end of all things. And guess what? It's occupied by fucking Faeries. They made me their goddamn king. Turns out, I'm King Fucking Oberon."

She would have asked him to share further with this story. But he looked on the verge of shooting someone. She never understood why he despised the fair folk so much.

"And… how did you get back?" she shifted the topic instead.

"I hitched a ride," he said after he calmed down. The scowl still remained, however. "I found a World I once visited… a very long time ago. I have a sort of history there and knew I came from here. They were planning something so I waited until they were ready to act. When they Traveled— capital 'T'— I jumped in after them. And… viola."

He waved his hands around before leaning against the table and downing the rest of his beer. There was a silence between them as his eyes flicked up towards the television in the corner. It was a Wednesday in April. The only thing on was basketball and football— real football, not that bastardized mockery Americans call soccer.

"Now, how are things here?" he asked.

"I almost missed you, Chase," she rested her chin off the back of her hand while propping an elbow onto the table. "I can't help but notice everything's so quiet since you were gone. I was almost getting bored. But now that you're back, I've no doubt they'll be all sorts of dangers approaching."

"You act like all those times I saved your ass was my fault," he grumbled.

Her breathing hitched in a sharp puff, the closest thing to laughter she was willing to share with him. "I'll give it a few days. A week at most. In any case, the college is doing fine. I've been busy managing it as well as finishing my schooling—"

"You're still in high school?" he scoffed. "What the hell lady? You said I was gone for a whole year. Shouldn't you have graduated?"

"My duties as Archmage of Los Angeles kept me occupied," she countered. "There was a shift in power while you were gone. Miss Shotalini is no longer a representative of the city. Her absence created a vacuum both Claudia and I had to fill. I'm content with repeating my year. I'll at least get to graduate with you and John… and I suppose Janice."

"Ugh, school," he groaned while reaching for his mug. He remembered it was empty and put it back down. "I don't think I'll go back to that."

"You should," she quirked a brow at him. "Wasn't you who said you wanted to try being normal? A normal person goes to school and mingles with his peers."

"Yeah, well, that was before I actually tried it," he raised his mug while making eye contact with one of the servers behind the counter. He went back to Coralynne, "I like school. Rather, I like the educational part of it. I like learning things. It's the bitchy teenagers I can't stand."

"Those girls will be happy to see you again," she said. She didn't tease him with this. She meant every word.

He didn't say anything.

A server came with their tray of pizza and a new mug of beer for him. Coralynne blinked as she saw the girl approach.

"Thank you, Samantha," he said out of habit.

"You're very welcome," the server replied with a radiant smile. She left the table but didn't return to behind the counter. Instead… she walked out the front door.

"An entire year and I haven't seen her once," Coralynne watched the girl leave. "You show up and she's here all of a sudden."

"Don't question it," he said while taking a slice. The cheese and oil dripped onto his paper plate. He took a bite with a long string of cheese sticking to his lips. "You'll keep your sanity that way."

She didn't grab for a slice. Not yet, anyways. She'll wait until it cooled off and the cheese settled.

"Anything I need to worry about?" he asked next before taking another bite.

"Nothing that I will be worrying you with," she said, slipping into a more professional tone.

He caught it and looked up at her. His eyes shifted as he studied her.

"Chase," she began firmly, "you've done enough. You've done everything you need. Nothing can threaten you now. Let Claudia and I manage the city. I promise we will make sure everything else leaves you alone. Wasn't that what you always wanted?"

He folded the crust and shoved it all into his mouth. He chewed as he studied her some more. His face was a blank, unreadable mask. A part of it was inhuman. She forgot the boy sitting in front of her was, literally, a mask of the thing hiding underneath.

"You're right," he said eventually. His tone was in both acceptance and slight disappointment. "We've already fucked over every major faction out there. I think you and Claudia both can tackle them. And I know they'll never try anything once they learn I'm back."

"About that…" she drawled as she finally took a slice for herself. "I was thinking about not telling anyone you're back."

"So you can call on me to surprise them?" he glowered.

"More like so I don't provoke the really stupid and daring to challenge you," she shot back with a glower of her own. "Chase, you're a serious magnet for trouble. Things have been peaceful since you've been gone. I would like to keep it that way at least until I graduate. The school year is almost over."

"…I'm not even sure if I'm thirty yet and it feels like I'm retiring," he snorted dryly. "Do me a favor then and keep Claudia out of the loop."

"I can't promise that but I'll see what I can do. Will you promise to go back to school?"

"Well when Claudia learns I'm back, I'll ask her to get me enrolled again. I just gotta remember what I looked like."

"I think you can get away with how you are right now. You've been gone for a year. Say… you had a growth spurt or something."

She said that last part with a snort.

"Fuck off," he bit back. But, she knew, there was a hint of amusement in there.

"Do you have a place to stay?" she asked next. "If you'd like, you can stay with me until you figure something out."

"Thanks, but I don't think John will like that."

"As if you cared what John thinks."

"I'm thinking about hitting my old stomping grounds. It's out of the way and quiet. That way when the city's on fire you can't blame me."

"If the city's literally on fire I will blame you."

He grunted once more and said nothing else. They resumed the rest of their meal in silence, only enjoying each other's company. Sometimes, there was no need for words in moments like this.

0-0-0

She ran. Her celestial light did some harm but it wasn't enough. The monster chasing after her wasn't fooled by her illusions. Confused at first, yes, but as soon as it drew blood from her could it know what was real and what was crafted.

She was bleeding out. A lot. And the thing was coming closer.

She couldn't keep her human form with the amount of wounds she's taken and the youki drained out of her. Yet she pushed herself forward, driven out of panic and the necessity to live.

The thing was toying with her. Luring her with a false sense of security. She would think she got away only for its presence to reveal itself suddenly. She heard it cackling.

This thing wasn't a youkai. At least, not of any type she had heard about before. It had a human body with bleached skin and dark hair. It was almost beautiful in its horrifically bewitching way. But it was strong enough to bend iron, could phase through solid objects, and had a deep stench of blood and decay.

Besides, trying to determine what type of youkai it was didn't matter when the thing was going to kill her.

Her strength eventually reached its limits. She knew it. All she could do was curl up in the bushes and pray to Inari the thing wouldn't notice her.

She knew it never lost track of her. She heard its feet clacking against the concrete, approaching her in a slow and steady pace.

Tears fell down. This was it.

Her last thoughts were of home and her family.

"Nothing I need to worry about, she said."

Another's voice growled with heavy irritation. It didn't belong to the monster.

"Everything's under control! Let her and Claudia handle things! Goddamn woman can't even take out the fucking trash. And now we have cockroaches."

"Be careful what you say, boy," the monster spoke with a soothing voice as lovely as a siren's. "Anger me and I will have to kill you slowly."

"But that won't stop you from killing me altogether, right?" the other sassed.

"You've seen me. You are aware of what I am. I can't allow you to walk away."

"And I can't allow you to roam around my city. I've nothing personal against you. I just don't like bloodsucking parasites running around killing people. I'm usually the one who gets blamed for it."

The monster chuckled, its voice ringing like a chime of bells. "I like you. Tell you what, I'll give you a head start. Once I'm done eating this one, I'll chase after you. If you manage to avoid me by dawn, I might let you live."

"Yeah, no, that's not how it works. See I tell you to fuck off and I… You know what? Why am I even talking to you?"

There came the sound of clothes ruffling and a click. The monster started to laugh a little harder. But then came a loud bang… and the laughing stopped.

"What… is this…?" the monster croaked… before falling over.

The stranger grumbled a few times to himself before approaching the bushes. He stopped at the edge. She felt a pair of eyes glare down at her.

A heavy sigh, "Don't do it, Chase. It has two tails. You know it's not normal. You know Stradt will be right about you when shit hits the fan. Again."

A long silence.

"…Fucking hell."

The leaves rustled and she felt a pair of hands cradle her body. They were gentle, delicate to not upset her wounds. Though she whined when the pain flared. She was raised out of the bushes and cradled into his arms.

0-0-0

The next time she awoke, she was bundled up on top of a pillow on a bed. The room around her was small— or at least small compared to what she was used to. The curtains were closed, hiding the shining sun.

Her body was stiff, but the pain was gone. She looked and saw a good number of bandages wrapped around her wounds. Her youki had replenished enough to allow her body to heal on its own. The critical wounds that monster inflicted on her were nearly gone.

She almost missed the door opening if she didn't catch a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye. It was silent as a young man entered. She couldn't tell if he was a teenage boy or a maturing adult with his short height. But he had a sharp face, a deep scowl on his face formed more out of habit than genuine emotion, and a pair of large dark brown eyes. His skin was tanned and his hair was short and black. He dressed in all black— a black t-shirt with black jeans. Even his socks were black.

She watched him. She breathed him in.

She knew this boy. Yes. He would be… sixteen now if she remembered right.

Their eyes met. His blinked once with surprise.

"Good afternoon," he said to her as he crossed the room. She tensed; he noticed and made sure to keep a comfortable distance from her. "I didn't think you'd be up so soon. You've slept through the morning. You're probably hungry so I brought you something."

She didn't notice what he had until he placed them down on the dresser across the room. It was a brown paper back with a golden M on it as well as a white cup with a matching logo. She raised her head and sniffed the air. Whatever was in those things smelled divine right now. She smelled cooked meat and spices.

"When you're done eating and… this," he turned to her and gestured her general appearance. He gave her a knowing look. "I'll be in the other room. Bathroom is the next door down if you need it. There're some clothes in the dresser. I don't know if they'll fit, just letting you know. Holler if you need anything else."

She yipped when he turned to leave.

He turned back around and looked at her, "What?"

Her tails swayed back and forth as she stared up at him. She raised a paw and pointed it at the bag of good smelling food.

He had a troubled expression. He released a small sigh as he crossed the room and went for the bag, opening it and pulling out the contents, "I'm going to assume you're too weak then. You did lose a lot of blood. But that's what happens when you get the attention of a vampire."

…A vampire? The monster from last night was a vampire? She couldn't believe it. She had heard about those things from movies and manga. She had even tried to read Dracula… before the old language made her head hurt.

She didn't think those creatures actually existed. She never heard of a single vampire sighting within the youkai circle.

She'd have to ask Kotohime if she ever got the chance.

"Here," he said as he pulled out a small box and undid the lid. The smell of meat, bread, and cheese made her head swim and stomach growl. He placed the contents on the bedside. Second, he placed a bundle of golden crisps into the upturned lid of the box.

She knew what it was from her manga! This was the legendary hamburger and French fries combo!

She eyed the contents. Her mouth was watering. But…

As though reading her thoughts, or perhaps noticing her hesitation, he took one of the golden crisps and popped it into his mouth.

Did… Did he think she thought the food was poisoned?! No! She was just waiting for his permission!

Or maybe this was his way of giving her permission. She didn't fully understand humans.

Without further thought or hesitation, she dug in. Though no matter how hungry she was, she minded her habits. She did not spill a single speck or crumb onto the sheets nor onto her fur.

But by Inari-sama was human food delicious!

He sat there at her side, occasionally munching on the fries. When she was done, he gathered the trash and went to move. But she wouldn't let him. In gratitude, she went over and rubbed up against his side.

"…You're welcome," he said, as though struggling with a hundred different options on what to say and reluctantly choosing this one. He put his hand over her head.

She flinched. It was instinctive. While she knew who this was… the pains from last night hadn't been forgotten. Her body had reacted out of fear.

He noticed but continued. He scratched the back of her head and rubbed his fingers against her ears. Her body relaxed as sweet bliss ran down her spine.

"Right, well," he removed his hand and got off the bed. She whined. He collected the trash into the bag and started to cross the room. "Same as before. Holler if you need anything."

She yipped once more.

"You should rest," he told her in a firm voice. "Your injuries haven't fully healed. I'll be in the other room. I'll come back to check on you in a bit."

With that, he left the room. He didn't close the door behind him.

She sulked a little. But he was right. While her youki continued to work on healing her, it'll be a while before she was in her peak condition. She curled back up in a ball as she plopped herself down on the somewhat stiff pillow. It took her a few times of wiggling around until she was comfortable enough to fall back asleep.

And when next she awoke, all of the pain was gone. The room was a shade darker; the sun was starting to set.

She raised her head and noticed a bowl of water on the floor. Her bandages were also cleaned. That boy must have come in to treat her while she was asleep. He was delicate enough to not rouse her.

Her throat was parched. She didn't notice until she took her first drink, inhaling the water almost as thoroughly as with air. It wasn't until she needed that precious oxygen did she stop.

The door was still open. Her ears twitched as she heard something down the hallway. Her feet pattered against the dark carpet as she left the room to pursue the sounds.

"Oh, sure," she heard the boy growl just as irritably as he had with that… vampire. "Leave the damn healer alone with the payload. Never mind we have an entire team of DPS! Never mind no one is on mic! Never mind we're on damn overtime and— What? You need healing?! You're like how far away from me?! Fuck off!"

She found him in a more spacious room connected to the kitchen. This one had a circle of couches surrounding a large television screen. He sat on one of them, glaring furiously at the screen with a strange device covering one of his ears. His fingers clutched against another strange contraption, occasionally hitting a button or two. The character on the screen reacted differently depending on what button he pressed.

She sat around the corner of the couch, hidden in the corner of his vision. She didn't want to disturb him, especially with how focused he was in this.

His eyes flicked down to her before flashing back to the screen. His scowl fell into a flat line as he stared at the screen.

He sighed when bold letterings of DEFEAT flashed across the screen.

"I feel like the game is twice as toxic since I've been gone," he grumbled as he leaned back in his seat. She took this as a cue to leap up and sprawl herself on his lap. He continued to rant regardless of her position. "My favorite medic has been nerfed to the point of being useless, they removed self-infliction on that one jackass and gave him a second ability… and that damn snow woman is still a menace to humanity."

He pressed a few more buttons and the screen went blank.

"You seem to be doing better," he commented as he tossed the device casually off to the side of the couch.

She looked up at him. She made sure to make her eyes as large as possible.

He gave her a flat stare.

…And then he began to pet her.

"You're lucky you're cute," he grumbled with some slight irritation. She didn't think there was any hostility this time. "Tell anyone I said that and I might have to shave you."

She didn't reply. She was too busy being swept away by his touch. He knew what he was doing and knew how to do it well. But before she could fully enjoy it, he suddenly stopped.

"It's almost sundown," he said, explaining when she looked up at him. "I make it a habit to go watch it. You're welcome to join me if you want."

She leapt off of him so he could get up. She watched as he rose, straightened his clothes of any wrinkles, and made his way towards the front door. She followed, passing through another hallway full of portraits, a staircase, and a drawing room. He opened the door for her like a gentleman and she accepted it courteously like a lady.

The front porch was small enough to fit three people at most. Two steps led down to the bottom floor which led to a concrete walkway through a grassy lawn walled by a chain-link fence. To the left of the patio was another couch, this one covered in a plastic sheet.

He removed the sheet and dusted invisible contaminants off with the back of his hand. Satisfied, he sat down on the center. She joined him, taking the spot on his right while resting her head on his lap. Idly, almost like an unconscious effort, his hand landed on her head.

When she wondered if he was going to continue petting her, his fingers started to move.

His eyes were locked up on the sky. The sun was starting to descend over the other neighboring homes. He watched it without a sign of harm to his eyes.

The scowl wasn't gone. But it had softened to the point it was hardly noticeable.

"I was expecting to see the old hag," he muttered. His voice was almost distant. "She usually works the graveyard shift but I haven't seen her at all. She's probably sleeping there again. Whatever. Looks like it'll just be you and me."

She didn't mind. In fact, this was better. She didn't want any interruptions.

He remained silent as he watched the sunset. He continued to pet her in a mechanical manner. She watched as a few cars came and went while the occasional human passed by on the sidewalk. Not one of them noticed him. And if they did, they didn't look his way or greet him. Just the same, he treated them as though they didn't matter.

They remained like this until the final corner of the sun dropped over the horizon.

"I don't know about you," he said in such a way it was as though life itself was returning to him, "but I can go for some food. I'm going to start on dinner."

She wasn't particularly hungry. But she hadn't eaten since this afternoon. Besides, she wouldn't say no to anything he would make.

…Provided it was edible in the first place.

They both got up. He covered the couch before opening the door and letting her in.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. He made a linguini dish with a cream sauce, vegetables, and chicken. She joined him at the dining table; he didn't say a word but gave her an observational glance. He placed a plate of food down in front of her before setting one for himself. When he sat down across of her, they ate.

She knew he was watching him. Oddly enough, it wasn't because he was a human seeing a fox eat. It felt like he was watching her for other reasons. Reasons she couldn't explain.

He cleaned up and they moved back to the couches. A movie played on the television. His eyes were on it but he wasn't watching it. Once again, it felt like he was watching her.

She realized it had been like this ever since he found her awake this afternoon. Though he continued to pet her, there was this level of space between them. He kept himself distant from her, constantly cautious as though she would snap at him.

It was just like when she first flinched at his touch before she allowed him to pet her. It was instinctive; something he couldn't fight against.

She was confident she could find a way to break him of this.

After all, she was a kitsune.

But as the hours progressed, the comforts of both good food and his gentle touch made her eyelids grow heavy. And before she knew it, she was asleep.

0-0-0

It was early in the morning when she woke up. At some point in the night the boy had carried her from the couch and back to the bed given to her. What bothered her more was the fact the boy wasn't near her. But she heard noise down the hallway and could only assume he was up to something.

She dove off the bed and scurried her way through the house.

"Good morning," he greeted with a bit of dryness— with a voice saying such for politeness' sake. He placed a plate of food down on the table. Only one. "There's not much breakfast. I need to go shopping. I don't think that old hag has been here in a while…"

He muttered that last part while looking around, spotting things only he knew what to look for.

She went up on the chair and looked down at the plate. There was some toast and over-easy eggs. He meant it when he said there wasn't much.

When she looked up, he was digging through the closet underneath the stairs. He pulled out a leather jacket and put it on.

She blinked. She could have sworn it was gray. But when she looked again, the jacket was clearly black. It must have been the lighting tricking her.

Another thought occurred to her.

She jumped off the seat and came to him. He stopped pacing and turned with his hands in the jacket pockets. His face said he expected her to follow him.

"I'll be back," he told her simply. "Stay here and eat. You're also welcome to leave if you're feeling up to it. Either way I need to do some grocery shopping."

He reached for the door and she yipped.

"Think of this as… a test," he said as he undid the lock. "Can I trust you while I'm away?"

She understood. She sat on her haunches and nodded vigorously. He could definitely trust her. She will be on her best behavior while he was away.

"I'll be back shortly," he said in a tone that suggested he was going to say it regardless of her reply. He stepped out and shut the door behind him. She sat there, listening to his footsteps fade away.

She didn't return to her breakfast immediately. Her tails swished back and forth against the tiles at the house entrance. She thought to herself.

She was right. He did keep himself at a distance from her.

Well. She was determined to change that.

She gave a very human grin.

0-0-0

"Um… sir?"

"Yeah, what?" Chase snapped out of his thoughts. "How much was it again?"

"69.72," replied the clerk.

"Goddamn prices went up," he grumbled under his breath as he pulled out a few bills from his pocket. It didn't matter if the money wasn't originally his. It also didn't matter if he could go out and get more despite how much he spent.

What mattered was the frequency he would need to go out. If he had been paying attention to the prices he could have saved some money. Although… right now he could put a few things back. But he found himself unable to choose between either the bananas or the chocolate chip cookies.

He paid the clerk. Looks like he was going to have to raid another safehouse or a couple druggies. He needed to be careful what places he would hit before Claudia would start to notice.

Also, while he was gone, there was apparently some stupid tax placed in grocery stores that charged costumers a certain amount per bag. Ten cents per bag wasn't much but…

At least the bags they used now were of better quality rather than the paper-thin pieces of shit that tore when a couple cans sat at the bottom on his way home.

He took his two bags and headed out of the store. His house— correction, his mother's house— was a few blocks away. He needed this time to consider his options regarding his most recent guest.

He considered calling Coralynne but… he really didn't want to hear her say she was right. Trouble did not approach him like a magnet. Even if he were to call her and she remain silent would he still be able to hear the words whisper into the back of his mind.

The hell was he thinking? Since when did he need the help of some witch? He went through how much shit before meeting her? He didn't need her help! He can handle his guest all on his own!

Now the question remained on how.

He doubted a simple talk would do the trick. He knew the thing wasn't human despite having his level of intellect. It probably thought differently from the regular human.

The first thing he should figure out was what it was doing last night. Specifically what it was doing in Los Angeles. Then figure out what its plans were from here on out. From there, he can decide how to treat it— whether he'll give her a care package on the way out or hand her off to someone who can escort her to somewhere safer.

Los Angeles was a den of wolves. Little foxes like her were devoured. Sometimes, such as last night, it's literal.

Once he considered his plan of action, his mind began to formulate a schedule. That vampire was a stray, someone who was able to slip through Claudia's surveillance. And if he had been able to slip through that fishnet, then there was no doubt something else had been able to get through. He would start doing patrols tonight.

But before that, he had a fairy to deal with.

"I'm home," he called out once he entered the house. He shut the door behind him and locked it. His connection with the World told him where the fox was. His extra senses stretched out, scanning the entirety of the building. Though the World told him where it was… his own senses told him it wasn't a foxy any longer.

The patter of feet on tile floor came from the kitchen and quickly approached the main hallway.

"Beloved!" sang the voice of a young woman. She pranced around before stopping a few feet in front of him. Her knees were bent with her fists clutched at her chest, debating between basking in his presence or about to lunge at him.

She was beautiful. Flawless pearly skin, shimmering red hair that fell over her shoulders and down her back, and an hourglass figure with large breasts, a narrow waist, and wide hips. Her eyes shimmered like emeralds. She was taller than him.

That last part irked him. Most women were taller than him but he had almost hoped she would at least be his height of 5'2 since she was so small as a fox.

There were two things that were off about her appearance. The more obvious one being the pair of triangular fox ears sticking out at the top of her head as well as the pair of bushy tails swishing around behind her back.

The other thing was the fact she was completely naked.

No. Wait. None of these things were important at the moment.

The fuck did she just call him?

The girl shivered from head to toe. Her excitement reached its peak. She lunged at him.

It was only because the World told him nothing bad was going to happen did he not put up his hand and stop her in her tracks. It warned him of her inhuman strength but he didn't try to reinforce himself with his talents. She landed on top of him and he stumbled back a few times. She rubbed her cheek against his with loving affection.

He tried to pull his face away. She only pressed further.

"Welcome home," she said as she lifted her head. Her eyes were only inches away from his. "I missed you."

He could only stare at her.

"Oh, that's right, you don't know who I am since you haven't seen me like this before," she giggled. Her voice was like a song. She pushed herself away at arms' length to face him. "My name is Lillian Pnéṿma, but you may call me Lilly, or anything else you would prefer."

"…Charmed," he said, struggling to find better words. Or maybe introduce himself.

She gave him a coy smile, bowing her head so she could look at him through her bangs as she brought a finger to her lips. "However, I would be particularly pleased if you call me YouSexyThingYou."

Blink.

"My three sizes are 99-58-90," she added with a mix between coyness and pride.

Blink. Blink.

"Oh! Wait," she blinked as well. Her face scrunched up in thought. "You Americans don't use the Metric system, do you? In which case, my three sizes would be 39-23-35."

Slow blink. Followed by a scowl.

He damn well knew how to use the Metric system.

She giggled once more and pressed her hands against his chest. She leaned forward, pressing her breast against him too. She drew circles along his collar. "I don't really have much experience with this kind of thing, but then, given your age, I don't really think you have too much either. I'm really looking forward to learning more about you as we deepen and explore our relationship together."

"Hold on a sec," he tried, placing his hands on her shoulders and taking a cautious step back. "Look, you might think you owe me or something, but let's not go down that path."

"Oh no," she shook her head. "It's nothing like that! Although, you were so heroic last night. You came in at the last second to defeat that viscous monster. It's like you're Saito and I'm Louise right before Wardes has his way with me."

…What and who?

"I know we have just met…" she said, purring with her words. Literally purring. "But if you wish to explore the more… physical aspects of our relationship, I would have no issues if we start right now."

She stepped back and placed her hands behind her back. It did… a lot of things to her figure. Especially when she was naked.

"After all," she smiled brightly at him. "I've decided you're going to be my mate!"

He stiffened. His mind came to a screeching halt.

He knew he shouldn't have picked her up. But nooo he had to take pity on an adorably wounded critter.

Coralynne must never learn of this. He refused to admit she was right.

Pat reon: Arrixam