𑣲 ruka

────۶ৎ────

A curious sound, that of the biwa, sounded within the thick greenery of the forest. The ghostly melody warned any traveller passing by that this was no place to wander, lest they lose their precious soul.

You were no believer of such baloney and decided to explore the forest for yourself, and maybe capture some photos of the mysterious creatures.

Your small bag was packed only with essentials. A small camera, a small dagger to keep yourself safe, and an expired container of vaseline that you forgot to replace.

It was time to ghost hunt!

You finally put your money where your mouth is and begin your trek into the deep thicket. It's dingy, hundreds of trees to block out the precious sunlight. It's no wonder that many people get lost here.

You are smart, however, and decided to leave small markings on the trees and ground on the path you took. You heard random animals scurrying around, but that was nothing to be scared of. If there was a spirit here planning to kill you, then you were determined to document it!

You hear that strange sound again. The delicate noise of a string instrument eerily permeates the air. It really is like a siren's call. Creepy, but a bit alluring in its solitude.

You follow the sound, getting closer and closer to the pretty melody, and peek out from a tree to see a person with long, white hair. Their back is facing you, so you can't quite tell if it is a real person, or a spirit. They seem to be the one playing the intoxicating song, nimble fingers pulling the strings one by one.

You watch for quite a bit, lost in a trance. But then you pay attention. This mysterious person... has fox ears! That's not normal at all, and you've finally found evidence of the supernatural! Time to snap a photo.

You carefully aim the camera at the person, and when you click the shutter, the person is gone.

What?

Perhaps you hallucinated in your excitement, but before you can even finish the thought, you're startled by the sound of someone grabbing you from behind.

Your heart nearly jumps out of its cage as the stranger turns you around and slams you against the tree. They seem just a tad irritated.

You look up, and it seems to be the same spirit you were trying to photograph.

Well, you lived a good life. Too bad you were gonna die.

The person seems to be a man; you can tell from their face. He looms over you like a monster, but his face is set quite plain and seems upset with you, if his flattened ears are any indication.

Maybe you can bargain.

You quickly grab the man's hand, and give it a kiss. Maybe he has a huge ego, and you can escape by appeasing it!

He stares at you, a tad dumbfounded. He looks confused, and seems to be reconsidering harming you due to the sheer idiocy of what you just did.

His expression becomes blank, more curious than agitated.

And then, he leans closer. All you hear while you stand there anxiously, awaiting your fate, is... sniffing. This strange spirit is trying to catch your scent.

You don't know if you should run for your life, scream, or just stand here. In all honesty, the spirit doesn't seem all too violent, and looks to be just as curious as you.

Maybe you won't die after all!

The man seems content in studying you. He presses his palm to your cheek, looking down at you with a much gentler expression.

"Are you lost?" he asks.

He can speak!

You take a second to glance around you, to confirm that you are in fact lost, and nod at him.

He hums, letting his clawed hand lightly slide down to the side of your neck, then your shoulder. "I figured. Humans get lost here all the time."

You consider throwing the vaseline container at his face to save your life.

He casually digs into your messenger bag, grabbing the vaseline container, the plastic held between his long, sharp claws.

He stares at the strange-smelling item, and gives you a judgemental look before he tosses it carelessly to the side. Well, there goes your opportunity.

His gaze returns to you, a soothing cold color in his irises. "Were you trying to photograph me?" He inquires, in a more amused manner. You realize that perhaps he has dealt with this far more times than you know.

You grin sheepishly, and scratch the back of your neck, looking guilty as ever.

He smiles, "I'll let you go home. But if you come back, I won't be so nice. Okay?" He says, oh so kindly placing a kiss onto your temple. "Run off, little human." He laughs, disappearing into mist.

Hell yeah, you survived, and you got evidence of ghosts!

You try to find your camera, feeling a bit giddy, but are disappointed when you find that it is crushed into the mud... You'd never be able to fix this. That evil fox must have broken it!

You sigh, and look around for if the fox spirit is still there, realizing that he really has left. Maybe you should take his mercy as a sign. This place isn't safe, and the spirits are far more intelligent than you thought.

You lightly touch where the man kissed you. Wow, a guy really kissed you. Maybe you're not hopeless after all.

You run back home, following the markings you left behind, pleased with the experience. You were definitely going to return.

────୨ৎ────

1.

tomoe forgot your birthday! how terrible! but he makes it up to you by taking you to a carnival to make up for lost fun. he especially seems eager to go on the roller coasters, and buys you all sorts of food! when you get home, he timidly kisses your hand and tells you 'happy birthday.'

────୨ৎ────

2.

you've spent a long long day outside, and are finally ready to come home! when you do, tomoe welcomes you with a meal befitting a royal. he seems quite proud of his recently developed culinary skills, and has taken no time to show them off to you. you enjoy a hearty meal before bed, and go to sleep warmed by the covers.

────୨ৎ────

3.

tomoe is trying to tend to the gardens with your help, but you keep getting distracted by little bugs and creatures! tomoe really doesnt appreciate that, and tells you to scram! but you keep enjoying the sight of the little creepy crawlies. tomoe sighs, finally understanding that you wont budge, and returns to his task.

────୨ৎ────

4.

tomoe hasn't come home for a while. how mysterious! when you look around for him, you find him sitting near a lake, carving a piece of wood. what a skilled craftsman! he carves an ornate butterfly into the wood. at that moment, he seems serene and calm. it becomes a new decorative piece in the shrine!

────୨ৎ────

5.

today is your first time venturing into the forest. it's scary! you walk through the dense thicket of greenery, and hear the pleasant sound of the biwa nearby. it seems somebody is playing a lovely tune on the instrument. you travel closer to see a fox spirit with ghostly white hair playing the strings. creepy! you wonder what will happen if you approach... so you do! it turns out the fox is actually enjoying a nice day outside too, and you both talk peacefully, sat on a wooden log.

────୨ৎ────

A light breeze blew through the Mikage shrine, still kept neat and tidy by the fox familiar who never left.

Even if there was no God to occupy the shrine, it was still looked after as if visitors were dying to come in every day. A garden that was tended to daily, and nobody to smell the hyacinths.

Hallways swept and mopped everyday, but no one to dirty them with their slippers.

It was empty and silent, save for the fox familiar.

Today marked Mikage's 19th year away from home.

Tomoe lay in the cotton comforts of Mikage's old bed, enjoying the idea of Mikage's scent, though it had long since faded from everything in the shrine.

He snuggled up nice and close to his master's favorite quilt. Tomoe felt bitter and wounded. Today was a sensitive day for him, and it was the same every year. A hurtful reminder of the fact that Mikage would probably never return, and it certainly didn't help that the shrine felt even lonelier than it did before.

Had he done something to drive away the man who saved his life?

Was he really so unbearable?

Why wasn't Mikage back yet?

It had been long enough, and Tomoe didn't have the heart to go looking for him. He couldn't bear the crushing disappointment awaiting him if he wasn't coddled in the embrace of his loving land God the second he saw him.

He breathed in the scent of the clean bed.

Tomoe's hair was still short, the same way it was when Mikage cut his hair for him the first day he entered his shrine.

He made sure to cut it every month or so, just the way Mikage liked it.

Mikage's bed was comfier than any surface in the quaint shrine, and it felt divine to rest in the same place that Mikage used to.

Perhaps Mikage would never return, but Tomoe was nothing if not loyal.

He would keep the shrine just the way his master wanted it, nice and clean, for the rest of his existence.

He owed his life to Mikage, and he didn't have the heart to simply abandon the shrine that Mikage had welcomed him so benevolently to.

Mikage was a divine figure in Tomoe's eyes, and he only deserved the most respect, seeing as he gave a second chance to someone as disgusting as Tomoe, a wild fox.

He gazed at the small pocket mirror that Mikage left in the shrine. It was Tomoe's favorite item. Sometimes Tomoe would see a butterfly floating around the mirror when he left it unattended, and he always felt a little heartbroken whenever he tried to get the creature to rest on his hand, because it always flew away before he could feel its small form.

It was going to be alright.

Mikage cared for him dearly when he was still around. Tomoe assured himself that there must be an important reason for a God to abandon his familiar and shrine.

He held the mirror close to his cheek, the cold glass oh-so soothing to Tomoe's skin.

It felt just like Mikage's hands, but at this point, Tomoe didn't even remember what they felt like.

The morning sun began to rise, the light shining on Tomoe's skin, like Mikage's spirit, kissing his forehead and encouraging him out of bed. He spent so long in Mikage's bed that he began to overheat.

Perhaps it was a sign to get up, and get started with a new day.

────୨ৎ────

thank you for reading!

i imagine he smells like freshly cut grass, or any light scent of a flower

likes to play the biwa (string instrument)

his favorite flower is the hyacinth

very much enjoys the scent of rain

has very durable nails

he thinks old folk tales are a frivolous waste of time

would be good at managing finances!

his ears are actually not sensitive at all and feel normal