A Kindred Ear

"Humans," Kurama mused aloud, "are quite disdainful creatures."

Dark honey-colored eyes blinked slowly at the eight year old boy. 'Playing' alone in the back yard, as Shuichi tended to do, he had been visited today by a rare stranger. Sitting upon her haunches was a young red fox, ears twitching with interest whenever the boy spoke. Kurama was fairly certain that the canine was too young and too new to the world to comprehend human speech. Even so, it was somewhat therapeutic to have an ear to talk to.

"Did you know that humans all over the world, from a vast majority of cultures, annually celebrate the day of their own birth?"

A long furred tail swished lazily, so Kurama continued. "Not only do they think so much of themselves as to celebrate it, but they insist on the company of others to validate their own self-absorption."

The fox watched Kurama intently, as if trying to solve an intriguing puzzle. Her senses of sight and scent told her one story, but her instincts told her another. How could both be true? Just what was this child supposed to be?

Kurama reached a small hand out toward her muzzle, allowing better access to his scent. He then rested his palm on the cool earth, focusing his slowly building energy into the mowed and manicured grass. Slow as a creeping snail, the blades began to heal and grow. Furred ears pivoted forward as the fox hunched down in interest. Again, the scent of the creature before her did not coincide with the other senses!

The red haired boy chuckled at the fox's obvious perplection. His human mother would no doubt assume that the neighbor's boy had missed a spot mowing the lawn this week, but say nothing about it. With a grim frown, he considered growing out all of the weeds in that god forsaken box of a yard. She would spend hours on her knees plucking them as punishment for forcing him to yet another child's dreadful birthday party. As tempting as it was however, he could not fault the woman for trying to socialize her child by the standards of her race. He had resigned himself to hiding, and would not intentionally torment the woman who was unwittingly helping him to do so.

Bored by his reverie, the fox lowered herself to lie in front of him, resting her head on the new patch of rejuvenated grass. Her eyes remained fixed on his face, looking for any clues of something that would interest her. Kurama's frown softened into something more neutral as he continued to talk to the closest thing he had to a friend. "The games that they play are just displays of training to become like the adults. Just as fox pups play fight and stalk one another to improve their hunting skills, so the human children learn barbaric and selfish habits."

Her head tilted a bit and Kurama stretched his small legs out in front of himself, one on either side of the fox. "They have a game that they call musical chairs. As music plays, the children must circle a set of chairs that can accommodate everyone in the group but one. When the music stops, they must rush in and muscle themselves into a seat. The one left out is eliminated," he held one finger up in the air, "then they remove yet another chair before continuing. You needn't be clever or resourceful, just ruthless. The most bullish and self-serving child wins the game."

Having had no interest in degrading himself in a shoving match, young Shuichi had been intentionally slow in the first round of every game. The true reward was being able to sit somewhere in peace, despite his mother's assurances that he would do better next time.

The little fox watched as Kurama rolled his eyes, recalling yet another game. "And the piñata! From what I understand, its origin is from another hemisphere entirely. But once you hear what it is, you'll understand the appeal that it has to humans across the globe." The fox lifted her head, picking up on the heightened tone of his voice. "They fabricate something into the form of a small animal and then fill it with sweet treats. Each child has a turn with a large stick, to pummel this thing until it finally caves in. Its entrails scatter out and these small children go berserk. They trample each other to get to this cheap, common candy that they no doubt already have some version of in their own home. But because it is the reward for bashing something into a massacre, they will step on one another for a taste." Kurama threw his arms into the air in astonishment. "I've never seen such a ravenous bloodlust without there being a drop of blood!"

He lowered is arms and calmly rested a hand upon the fox's head. She was still for a moment, merely observing this curious action. When slender fingers began to caress the point where the ear met the scalp, she gently pushed into his hand in approval. His young voice held affection for the first time since he had taken this human form. "You shouldn't be in a city, little one. Despite appearances, these humans are dangerous creatures."

Her eyes slipped closed as he expertly stroked muscle lines and avoided the sensitive areas. The only time that touching felt this good, was when she rubbed against another fox. Who knew that those strange hands could be so pleasing?

"Shuichi!" The woman's voice was loud and shrieking as she quickly rushed her way over to them from the back door of the house. The startling interruption caused the fox to bolt to her feet and dart several yards away. Shiori grasped her son by the hand and pulled him to his feet, checking him over. Her voice was stern and chastising. "I know it looks like a puppy or a kitty, Shuichi. But these animals are dangerous."

Kurama looked back to see the fox balancing on top of the fence, ready to make her escape. He repeated his mother's words, but they were for the fox to hear.

"Yes, these animals are dangerous."