Tibby's Dark Corner

Yuebing ('Mooncake' in Chinese) was a perfect companion, forcing me to stay alert and motivated. There was no sleeping my weekends away with him around. He did not allow me to give in to depression and created a ruckus until I tended to him each day.

I was not allowed to slack off - yet I strangely didn't mind his nagging. Nothing felt like a chore and it brightened my day to see Roux (my dog) and him playing together.

He's been missed dearly and his absence has been hard. It's back to having just enough energy to work and perhaps eat before going to sleep for the next day.

The biggest writer block has kinda killed my motivation for even opening up the document.

I had gotten a second job, but that's up in the air now due to a shockingly low amount of communication and disorganization from the company. Honestly, I can't say I would be too upset if they let me go, as working for them has been nothing but frustrating and confusing.

However, I got a new (used) vehicle and the extra money would be helpful.

But by far, the event affecting me most has been the unexpected passing of my rabbit on Thanksgiving Day.

Yuebing ("Mooncake" in Chinese) forced me to change my routine, which usually involved me sleeping the whole weekend away. I didn't care to clean my room or much of anything else before. However, between his antics and his messiness, I HAD to get out of bed to deal with things. Sometimes because of him chewing the bars of his cage/condo until I let him out or him being a jerk and urinating on my bed. I washed my bedding more in a week than I had in at least 6 months before having a rabbit.

Slowly, I got to the point of actually wanting to clean and get out of the house. My depressive episodes were very rare and seeing Yuebing and Roux (my dog) play together made me laugh a lot. I didn’t know that rabbits had so much personality.

His passing hit me hard; I didn't eat for over two days and I didn't get out of bed either. I started getting better after a week or so, but I've started hitting really low points. My room is a mess again, just as it had been.

Part of the grief comes from not knowing how he died. Did he choke? Did he eat something poisonous?

Was his death quick? Or was it slow and painful, possibly causing him fear as his life faded?

Then the regrets and "if only I had" thoughts. "If only I hadn't let him out to run that day." "If only I had come downstairs sooner - maybe I may have noticed something in time."

"Was it my fault?" "Maybe he died because I failed to give him medication after his neutering surgery..." "He was eating and energetic, but maybe it's because I didn't take care of him by not giving him those meds. Maybe it was a complication that was preventable..."

"Yeah, it was two weeks ago, but... maybe it's my fault."

He was only 6 months old - far too young to have his life snuffed out.

I feel almost like it's my punishment for feeling too happy and optimistic for once. It felt like things were going right; second job and just got my first car that wasn't passed onto me from a family member. I don't remember feeling like I was secure before or able to be a proper adult. The impossible was feeling possible for the first time.

Chapter 3: "Lucid Dreams and Maka the Demon Magnet"

-

Their tender moment on the kitchen floor ended almost immediately after and Maka wiped away what tears she could with the base of one palm. She cradled Soul in the other arm, though his fuzzy tail brushed against her lap and the tile.

"Sorry, I guess I can get stupidly emotional sometimes," she said with the brightest smile she could muster, letting out what Soul considered to be one of the most pathetic attempts at a chuckle he's ever heard in his life.

'If that isn't the truth…'

Maka noticed the letter and reached over, plucking it up off of the floor to examine it, "How did this get on the floor?" Still focusing on the envelope, she stood up using solely the strength of her legs.

Soul watched her expression, one ear flicking to the side when he noticed it darken, 'Uh oh. Something bad, I'm guessing.' Strangely, he made no move to escape and allowed her to hold him without a fuss. Not that he could exactly do much with a broken leg along with his other injuries.

Heaving a sigh, she flung the envelope back on the counter, "I almost forgot about that. I need to pay it before they send it off to collections." She returned her attention to the cradled fox, moving her other arm to further support his weight, "Maybe after I get you healthy and back out into the wild, I'll look for some extra part-time work. I'll just have to learn to live with less sleep."

He tilted his head at her smile, wondering why the hell she was reacting that way to what was obviously a negative - and unhealthy - arrangement. This Maka girl continued to stump him, because he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be happy about being forced to sleep less.

He'd be pissed.

Suddenly, he found himself being set down on the counter adjacent to the stove - though at least a foot or so away from the prep work she had started. Maka had kept everything so nice and tidy, taking up a surprisingly small amount of space. Soul sat up awkwardly, his splinted leg sliding forward ever so slightly due to a diminished ability to grip surfaces with his paws. He looked up at Maka just in time to feel her ruffle the fur on top of his head fondly and blinked in confusion.

Maka seemed to realize her mistake right after he did and her mouth formed a small ‘o’ before she yanked her hand back, “Oh! Sorry! You probably don’t like to be touched unnecessarily. Also, it’s probably best I don’t since you’ll be returning to the wild eventually. Bad move, Maka.” She slumped a bit, her pigtails sliding over her shoulders and resting in front now.

It was almost as if she had the memory of a goldish, because a moment later, she lightly poked his nose with a smile, “Stay here and don’t move, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Soul stared after her as she walked away, disappearing down the hallway towards her bedroom. The white fox reached up with his working leg, pawing at the top of his head in contemplation. His thoughts trailed back to the strange incident earlier, trying to figure out exactly what was triggered. Echoes of memories? No images came to mind; just emotions and a female voice shouting “Tama”. The first impression he got from the word was that it was meant to be a name. Whose name, though?

Surely not his.

Movement by the window over the kitchen sink caught his eye and Soul shifted his gaze to look, freezing upon seeing the form of a black cat sitting on the windowsill outside. Blood-colored eyes met twinkling gold and after a few seconds of their impromptu staring contest, the cat seemed to smirk.

He did not like this feline one bit; it was cocky and it almost seemed to be mocking him. Cats were all assholes, undoubtedly, but this particular one had it out for him. There was no way this was a normal cat peering at him through the window.

No way.

As if to both torment him further and settle his suspicions, the cat stood and a second tail faded into view. The feline stuck out its tongue at him as if teasing, causing his fur to rise along the back of his neck and shoulders. He bared his teeth, ears pinning themselves back, 'Come at me, you cowardly feline! I know what you are!'

The cat just stared at him, clearly unamused and hardly intimidated. A sudden noise inside caused both the uninvited guest and Soul to snap their attention to the side as Maka returned, carrying some blankets. The fox demon immediately snapped his attention back to the window, eyes widening when there was no sign of the cat, 'What…? Where…?'

Maka set the blankets down on the edge of the counter, noticing Soul's confused look and also how abnormally fluffy he was, "Hm? Something wrong, little fox?" The girl followed his gaze to the window, lofting a brow upon seeing nothing. She opened her mouth to say something else when she heard a soft meowing before a small black cat appeared up in the window again, "Oh!"

Soul growled lowly, eyeing this creature with no small amount of distrust. She only had one tail now and rubbed up against the window, acting like the average cat. What was another demon doing here, of all places? What were her motives…?

So focused on his newly appointed enemy that he barely noticed Maka walk across the kitchen and slide the window open. Soul made the most pathetic scream of alarm, not unlike the one he made earlier when Maka startled him. However, this one held a different weight to it that made it seem more aggressive - which it was.

He wanted to shout at the clueless human girl, but screeched angrily at her instead, 'That's a DEMON you're letting in, you idiot! Do you just take in all the strays you come across?!' If it really came down to it, he’d lose the disguise if he had to defend himself and to hell with his injuries! Even in this state, he was recovered enough to take care of some small fry like this infernal cat.

Maka was startled and turned to face him, the black cat resting comfortably in her arms with beady little eyes watching Soul in amusement. "Do you not like cats? This cat is Blair and she's a stray… or was. She comes in sometimes, so it's okay!" Maka tried to explain, wondering why Soul's aggression returned in full force. Even before, he hadn't screeched like this and she was certain he was throwing whatever swear words at her a fox might have in their own language.

Blair tilted her head back, looking up at Maka and meowing loudly enough to catch the human’s attention. Maka lowered her gaze to the cat, casting a brief glance at the enraged fox before back down at Blair. She seemed to contemplate something before moving to exit the kitchen, scratching the cat’s head fondly, “I’m going to have to properly introduce you two later, I guess. In a room you go, for now. I’ll leave some nice food for you in there, okay?”

Soul continued to seethe as the two of them left, swearing that he caught another smirk from that wretched feline before they disappeared. ‘So… fucking… smug…!’ he snarled to himself, riled up beyond usual. Normally, he wouldn’t give the smallest shit about someone he considered weaker than himself giving him attitude; but this - THIS…!

THIS pissed him off!

And Maka wasn’t helping matters. How idiotic did she have to be to be inviting that demonic cretin into her living space? Did she not realize that she had not one, but now TWO youkai in her household?!

Despite his rage that was borderline stroke-inducing, some bit of reasoning managed to slip in and he relaxed ever-so-slightly. ‘Oh… right - she likely doesn’t realize we’re demonic entities. Stupid spiritually-blind human, afterall,’ he realized, though it did little to lessen his temper. He could hear Maka’s footsteps and chose to curl up on top of the blankets she had set down earlier, giving her the figurative cold shoulder.

Maka made several attempts to peer at his face, but Soul would promptly look away and adjust himself to be able to keep his back to her, tail curled around his body. Releasing a sigh, she washed her hands before returning to her prep work.

For the longest time, it was completely quiet outside of the sounds of her cooking. Soul’s head kept bobbing, eyes falling closed as he fought sleep. Apparently mending bones and tissue took a great deal out of him, in addition to all of the excitement he’s been victim to today.

Despite his valiant attempts at remaining conscious, exhaustion finally overcame him and his head finally plopped down onto the plush blankets. The sudden collision barely jostled him awake and he fully slipped away into dreamland.

-

[The fox youkai - now Tama - paused to shake out his fur, "That was quite the adventure. Who knew souls could be so tasty?" As if to further emphasize the newly-discovered fact, he ran his tongue along the tips of his sharp teeth before giving her a grin, "You should try it sometime, (faded)."

"Yeah, I think I shall pass on your offer," the girl in question replied, scrunching up her face at the thought of eating a soul. "You are the one that needs to be eating the souls. The more you absorb, the stronger you become, correct?"

Slightly miffed that she didn't play along with his joke, he tilted his head while looking up at her, "Well, that is the plan, anyway." He glanced back behind him, waving his one tail in the air, "Then I will have nine tails and be one of the most powerful familiars." A brief silence as he gave another experimental flick of his tail, "Think they will look amazing…?"

The young priestess turned to look at him, giving him her full attention. Seeing his genuinely curious expression, she smiled warmly, "Of course! Everyone will be jealous! You will be a respectable familiar and look like some mystical creature out of a fairy tale."

His ears and tail drooped a bit and he gave her a look that seemed to be a mixture of embarrassment and grumpiness, "I am fairly sure demons aren't in fairy tales, (faded). Horror stories, maybe."

She only smiled brighter, reaching over to ghost her fingers over one of his black-tipped ears, "Well, shows what you know. I am sure there is at least one; and if not - then we will just have to create a new fairy tale." Spinning on her heel, she started walking further up the stone walkway that led to their shrine, "The Tale of the Nine-tailed Fox and the Priestess. How does that sound?"

"Sounds redundant and obscenely long for a title," he grumbled, trotting after her.

Hardly discouraged by his pessimism, she looked up in thought, "The Tale of a Priestess and Fox?"

"Uh… no."

"The Tale of a Fox Familiar and his Priestess?"

"No. (Faded)-"

"The Tale of a Priestess and her Fox Familiar?"

His ears flattened against his skull, experiencing a mixture of frustration, annoyance, and something else he couldn't quite put a name to. Why the hell was she being so persistent about some idiotic fairy tale name? The kitsune stopped a yard or two away as she approached the temizuya and reached for the wooden ladle, beginning the process of cleansing, “It is not like someone would write a tale about us - or me in particular. While I am your familiar, I am still considered a demon, remember? No good stories or ‘fairy tales’ - as you put them - will come from our partnership. So, I am not sure why you are so determined to think of an ideal name for some impossible story that no one will scribe.”

The priestess did not even pause in her cleansing ritual, pouring water into her cupped left hand. She gingerly sipped it before allowing the 'contaminated' water to spill from her lips and onto the ground. After pouring the remaining water into the pool, she scooped up another full ladle before walking towards her familiar with a grace Tama found somewhat unbefitting of his new master. The blonde-haired woman proceeded to douse him evenly from nose to the tip of his tail with the water that they held sacred.

Oh, how he hated this ritual, despite not actually harmed from it. Being a familiar had its advantages after all, even with him technically being a demon. Her silence, however, kept him both on edge and confused. The kitsune lowered his head slightly, pointed ears flicked to the side as water dripped from the tips and created temporary stains on the ground. Once she had retreated a fair distance to return the ladle, he shook out his fur in an attempt to get rid of as much water as possible. Wet fur was among the top things he hated on his long list….

“You know,” she started, her back to him as her olive-green eyes focused on the rippling surface of the water. “Our partnership is very new and there are still a great many things uncertain. However, much like a seed of a plant, we have the opportunity to grow. A beautiful garden is never just one single flower, correct?” She turned to face him, offering the fox a smile that had the strangest calming effect, “We are still but seeds - buds, perhaps. With flowers, there are types that do not coexist favorably with one another. I want to believe that you and I are complementary to one another in this rather complex garden. Even if there are others who wish to damper our bloom, we will just have to stand strong. You and I will just have to be the most beautiful flowers in this vast garden, where each flower and weed is a person or familiar.”

His red eyes shifted to the side before the crunching of geta on soil drew his attention back to the human girl. The kitsune froze with her gentle hands sought to make contact with the sides of his jaw. She gently held his head in her palms, lightly coaxing him to look up at her and his red eyes widened ever-so-slightly seeing the softest smile on her lips. “Or we can just be two beautiful blooms on our own, subject to no garden and the whims of others,” the priestess said softly, lowering her head to press her forehead against his own. Almost instinctively, he closed his eyes and she did the same, allowing her fingers to lightly skirt across the fur of his jaw and just past his slanted eyes. “And if no one will write a fanciful tale of our adventures, then I will strive to write the tale myself. All I need to decide upon is the title….”

His priestess released her hold on him and a small part of him felt almost disappointed, watching as she moved past him to head towards shelter. Tama turned to face her, watching her closely before his vulpine lips twitched into some semblance of a smirk, “Oh, (faded), you are most certainly horrible with titles. Completely hopeless… so hopeless, that I simply must keep an eye on you and assist you in this impossible endeavor.”

“You are hardly kind, my dear fox,” she laughed, waiting for him to reach her side before they both made the remaining trek to their quarters. “I suppose we will have to sort this out together, too.”