[IC] The Fox Spirit

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

In the far distant past there lived a Kitsune Girl named Autumn who was loved by her fox companions but had no parents so she had been on her own for a long time. Even though she had her little fox companions she wished to be among the humans but in that time humans were scared of her kind so she started to play tricks and other harmless stuff on a village in hopes to get some friendly attention and gain some friends to play with. But unfortunately it was the wrong kind of attention she was getting from the human village and they called among a monk to help save their village by ridding them of the so called 'evil' Kitsune. A monk agreed to do so and started to hunt her down and when Autumn got wind of that she ran far away as she could but the monk stayed on her trail.

Soon Autumn found a spot to rest at a shrine that was not used or even looked like it had been used for years so she hoped the monk would not find her there as she took a rest. But while Autumn slept the monk found her and placed an enchantment on her causing her to wake then sealed into the shrine. After she was sealed her placed an enchantment on the area where the shrine was so no one would find it, for a sign appeared saying 'Leave and offering to gain help from the fox spirit' he knew that it was her way of escape to freedom after helping who ever left an offering. Once his job was done he returned to the village to let them know that the Kitsune was taken care of.

500 years soon passed, 500 long year of loneliness that Autumn had to endure for she could see her fox companions but they could not see her or feel her touch. But as that many years have passed the enchantment the monk left had finally weaken enough for one random person to walk into her area so she could some how guide them to her shrine and hope they would leave her an offering. But in the mean time Autumn sat on the shrine knowing no one could see or touch her until the offering was place and she really hoped someone would come soon and set her free from her eternal loneliness. SO the enchantment is gone and all that is left is for that one person to take that one step in the forest.

[ProfessorNV]

Near the forest where this shrine stood, a young man by the name of Marcus walked along the trails, hunched over with his hands in his pockets, his overall look seemed upset. With a heavy sigh, he walked along the old forest paths, looking to try and find some silence in which he could clear his head of the mess that was today.

Why of all days does this have to happen to me? He thought to himself, Of all the days to come, I had to get laid off today, right before my rent and other bills are due. How am I expected to keep up with my payments if everyone who gives me a job keeps throwing me aside like that?! I can already hear my parents, 'I am not surprised you're without a job again Marcus, why can't you be like your brother and go into business? He has already offered you a job with him!'

Marcus sighed, his shoulders low and head drooping, he hated his life currently, if only he could get some kind of help. A job would be lovely to be completely honest, but with his luck, there wont be anyone hiring. He thought of moving and trying his luck elsewhere, but then he thought, what could be any different?

He rubbed his temples on his head and as he did, tripped over a wooden sign. He fell with a grunt, cursing his horrible luck, wondering what idiot put a sign up. Looking up, he stopped dead in his tracks, a temple? How did he not notice this huge thing here before? He never remembered a temple being here, and hes visited this forest more than once. The sign caught his attention and he looked over to read it, "Leave an offering to gain help from the fox spirit" he read aloud. He gave a small snort of laughter, he was never the superstitious type... but then again, he was at the end of his leash.

"Anything to help would be appreciated I guess" he said with humor in his voice, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a peanut butter sandwich wrapped in plastic. He set down the sandwich at the foot of the temple and waited patiently, humoring himself on this childish nonsense before he would decide to head back.

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autum sat o top of the temple where she reside at where she could not leave or be seen nothing but pure torture that humans have no knowledge. She sat there looking at the sky not knowing what to do and wishing she had died many years ago instead of enduring this lonely world. But soon she heard a sound and looked down to see a human boy. "What a human....the enchantment it must of finally faded." She said as she jumped off the top of the temple and landed in front of him knowing he not not see, hear or touchb her. She looked at him and could see he was skeptical about the sign that was left the day she was improsoned.

But soon watched him placed the offering down and the wind started to pick up as a small fox ran from his hiding space next to the offering sniffing around as the wind blew more harsh as the leave swirled around autumn as she slowly appeared until finally she was fully materialized. Autumn looked at herself as soon as the wind died down and mArcus could see her tail and ears of a fox on her. "I am free I am finally free." She said happily as she twirled. "oh 500 years of loneliness gone I am free." She said happily as the little fox yapped happily as he picked up the sandwich and ran to her as she scooped him up. "Hmm interesting offereing what is it." She asked as she sniffed it for she has never seen anything like it before.

Autumn looked back at the humans. "Oh where are my manners I am Autumn the fox spirit of this temple thank you for leaving an offering and since you left and offering I am at your service."

[ProfessorNV]

Just as Marcus had set down the sandwich, the wind picked up for no apparent reason. As it did, he noticed a small fox coming to sniff the offering, he thought it was strange and took a few tentative steps back as the wind picked up even more. Leaved began swirling around and before his very eyes, a young girl seemed to be materializing, coming more and more into view until suddenly she was standing right there in front of him.

Much to his amazement, she began speaking to him, picking up the small fox that was holding his 'offering'. He was speechless as she began to speak about finally being free, confused as to what she was talking about. He thought that perhaps he was just dreaming, and that soon he will wake up in his apartment. I mean, how many girls have fox ears on their heads in the real world, right?

She then introduced herself to him as Autumn, and went on to talking about how he had released her and was now at his service. Before he could even speak however, the shock of everything finally caught up to him, and without warning, he fell back with a thud, knocked out cold.

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn watched Marcus as he fell over knocked out cold. "Uh oh dear." She said as she walked over and bent down as she started poking him a bit. "He is out isn't he boy." Autumn said as the little fox made a huff sound and she petted the little guys head before triyng to figure out what to do with him. "Well we can not just leave him here laying on the ground sicne it is getting dark and cold. She thought for a minute before she palced her hand over his forehead and used her magic to figure out where he lived and then used her magic to transport them there and him in his bed. After she did that she looked around the place as she held her fox. "Wow is this how humans live now?" Autumn asked as she snffed around the place and just browsed for she was curious for it has been a long time since she was trapped in the shrine/temple.

She just spent her time looking around at the place and heared a knock at the door it being the landlord saying he was there to collect the rent. "Hmm I have no clue what this rent is but lets give them some help." She siad as she waved her hand blew as gold dust flew through the door on the landlord and soo said that Marcus can wait a bit but not for long as head him leave. "Hmm I wonder what this rent thing is?" She said said as her fox made a cute sound and Autumn laughed as she hugged her fox for she truly missed her little guy while she waited for the human to wake up.

[ProfessorNV]

Marcus groaned and opened his eyes to find that he was back in his apartment, and aside from a weird pain on the back of his head he didnt feel that bad. He looked around for a bit, thinking it had all been a weird dream. With a shake of his head he got up and decided to see if he had any food, only to stop in his tracks once more as he saw the fox girl once again, hugging her little... pet.

"Y-y-you're... youre r-r-real?!" he stammered out in shocked surprise, taking a couple steps back. He felt like he was going to faint again, so he leaned himself against his table and took a couple deep breaths to steady his racing heart. After he composed himself to a more acceptable heart rate, he looked back at the girl, taking in her features. The tail... the large fox ears... yet she was rather cute.

"Okay... I am pretty sure I am not dreaming... who are you exactly? And... how did you find my house?"

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn looked at marcus when he walked in and watched him once again freak out from just seeing her and watched him start to take deep breaths before she answered him. "Of course I am real I am a Kitsune." She said to him as she looked at him while her littlefox was sleeping in her arms as she held the sandwich that he had left as an offering. "And I told you ia m a fox spriit that is here to aid you after yu left this as an offering." She said to him with a smile. "And I used my magic for us since you passed out on me so I just placed my hand over your forehead uased my magic to figure out were you lived and then poof we are here." She said to him as she sat down for her legs were tired.

"And no you are not dreaming at all I am here to make you truly apy or at last try and hate to say it but you are stuck with me unless you take your offering back but this luttly guy just ate it so that can't happen meaning you ahve to wait till the harvet moon which is 3 months away." Autumn said to him as se held up three fingers. "So yeah here I am to basically serve and help you with anyhting you need though I must ask what is rent some guy came up saying he needed your rent now bbut i sent him away making him come back a week or two later to get this rent thing." AUtumn said as she twirled her hair around her finger.

[ProfessorNV]

The rent? Oh no... Marcus groaned and walked to his kitchen, opening one of the cabinets and pulling down an old coffee tin. Upon opening it, he began pulling out a small roll of cash. Counting it out, he gave a small sigh, just enough to cover it. But it doesnt cover his other bills as well. But if what this... Autumn said was true, then he had a couple extra weeks to get some more money.

He looked back at her as she explained that she was at his service until he was either happy or this harvest moon came in three months and he began to think. He thought back to the time that he spoke with his mother on the phone...

When on earth are you going to get yourself a girlfriend Marcus? his mother asked, I dont know, how about when I can get myself financially stable enough to have a relationship? he responded to her. Son, I am at such a point that if you can at least get yourself a girlfriend, I will happily help you out money wise. I am serious! I'd like to see some grandkids before I become old and senile!

"Hmmm... I think there might be a way you can help me" Marcus said to the Kitsune girl, "You see... Ive been... really low on money... not proud of it... but if I show my mom that I have a significant other... well then they would help me out until I can land myself a job.... so Autumn... as crazy as this sounds... I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend..."

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn watched him rush off to do something as she just petted her fox happiy for she was just happy she could hold her fox again and she wants to hold ehr fox forever and ever and never go back into the shrine/temple she hated how she could not be able to touch her kit. She heard the sound of tin bt thought nothing of it as she played with her fox happily.

She looked at him as he started to talk and tilted her head at him. "Uh few problems to that one I am sure it has been a few hundred years since I was imprisoned in the shrine so I do not know how humans live to this day and two what is a girlfriend?" Autumn said to him for she never heard that before as she used ehr magic to create an orb and made it spin around along with giggling for it had been awhile since she used her magic for fun for she has not used it for awhile.

[ProfessorNV]

Right... if this were the case then he would have to catch her up on a few things. "Well we will worry about that as it comes. For now, I just need your help. First off... umm... a girlfriend is like... a significant other, not really husband and wife... but they are together... does that make sense to you?"

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn looked at him as he tried to explain the whole situation to about a girlfriend to her. "Um yes and no." Autumn said to him as she looked at him for it was funny watching him try to explain. "So it's basically have someone with you but on a closer level?" She asked just from what she remembered in her past as much as she could. "Though would it not be easier if I just give you a job as you call it since I know magic." She said to him wanting to make it easier for him on down thing like that.

[ProfessorNV]

"I... wait what? You can do that?" he asked, his shoulders dropping as he tilted his head to the side. This was indeed surprising to him. Just magically giving him a job? Well that certainly would work... but that still doesnt change the fact that his parents were coming down in two months, and he needed to show them that he was indeed succeeding in being on his own, and someone acting as his girlfriend would certainly help with that.

"Well that would help, but the other thing is this... I am a failure in my parents eyes... and I need to show them when they come visit that I am being successful. A job is a good way to show that... but they expect me to have a girlfriend too... its really embarrassing to ask you... it really is... I must sound so desperate... But I just need you to act like we are... together... only until I can show my parents Im not a failure. Uderstand??"

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

"Yeah not that hard all it takes is rearranging a few memories and the rest is history." Autumn explained to him as she looked at him. "Or option two." She said holding the orb she made and looked at him. "This has a small amount of magic and you just wish job you ant sin you know the jobs better then I do and then presto." Autumn said with a smile as she made it float and her little fox chased it happily.

She then listened to what he said and started to think. "Why do I have the feeling you have an older brother that probably has upstaged you all your life." She said for she was used to seeing that in nobility class. "Cue if that's the case give up on that once they have the so call perfect older child they will always compare you to your older sibling no matter what you do." Autumn warned him. "I have watched it happened many times hundreds of years ago but if you are that desperate fine but in that process you need to help me figure out how to make you truly happy once I do the chain that still bounds me to the shrine will be broken and I do not want to go back to that solitude." Autumn said to him.

[ProfessorNV]

She was obviously from the past. If she were so quick to asking him to just give up on his family just because his older brother had a better life. He seemed to get a little agitated by her response, and fixed her with a hard gaze. "I just want my parents to see that I can take care of myself! Besides youre supposed to help me yet all im getting is a bunch of questions. Maybe if you can help me out with this then I can find what makes me happy!" he said to her with a raised voice. His expression softened slightly as he realized he was too harsh, but said nothing.

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn looked at him and sighed for that seemed to be her biggest talent to just get people to hate her lik in the past that was why the monk ran after her. She went silent and did not talk until he was done. "Whatever you say master." Autumn said to him once he was dne as her fox whimpered a bit. Autumn knew that once the Harvet moon comes she will be sucked back into the temple back into her silent lonelyness not able to talk to anyone or touch anything or be seen by anyone until an offering is placed which my be another 500 years. If her fox had not eaten the offering she wold of just gien it back saying that maybe she was not the best choice for this but her fox ate it. "I will do as you say and sorry for asking so many questions its nt easy being trapped in the temple for 500 years." Autumn said to him as she snapped her fngers and changed into a fox like her little one and curled up into a ball with ehr fluffy tail covering her face for even as a fx she could cry and she did not wnat him to see her cry.

[ProfessorNV]

Ouch... the way she replied to him... it was as if he had smacked her in the face. Now he felt really badly... like really badly. He sat there in an awkward silence for a few minutes before kneeling down to the spirit who was now in fox form. He tentatively reached a hand out to her, unsure of what to do, before gently petting her head.

"Hey... Im sorry for yelling... I guess Ive just gone through a lot recently. I can understand why you would want to ask so many questions... I cant imagine what being alone that long must have felt like. So... Im sorry... can you forgive me?"

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn stayed curled up with ehr tail covering her face before she felt him pet her head all of a sudden and stiffened aas she listened to him talk to her and apologiz to her from him yelling and getting angry at her. she moved her tail to look at him and he could see that she was crying. "Its fine I can never learn to do anything right just like 500 years ago thats what go me trapped in the ttmple along wtih being me." AUtumn said as she shifted abck to her true form while layng on her stomach. "And no one can ever understand the dark loneliness I was trapped in no one can see or year you and you can not touch them and to make it work the one that trapped me made a barrier that made it where no one could come near my temple until you came that is when the spell on it finally weakend and broke." Auumn said as tears still fell down her face for it was horrible she had wanted to die so many times for years.

"I wanted to die so many times from taht solitude." Autumn admitted to him. "And if I can not make you truly happy by the end of the harvest moon festival two months away I will have to go back in that temple and wait for the next person to come.

[ProfessorNV]

"Hey, maybe no one just spent enough time with you so you can learn. I'll teach you all there is to know about living among humans now, and dont worry, I promise you wont be trapped in that temple anymore. I am sure we can find what makes me happy." Said Marcus, his heart dropping as he saw her tears. He beamed at her with a big smile, hoping to cheer her up as he said to her "How about this, I will show you around the town and help you get accustomed to how things are now, we cant get started until you get properly oriented with the town! What do you say?"

[Fairy Tale Dreamer]

Autumn looked at him and sighed. 'You dont understand 500 years ago I was called a fox demon and they hate our kind." She said to him as she wiped ehr eyes off her kimono sleeve. "And I ahve to make you truly happy and that seems impossible." She said to him for she was slowly losing hope now. She looked at him as he smiled at her and suggested that he sshow ehr around town and get her accustomed to the new time she was now in. "I guess we can try but I cant walk around with my ears and tail." She siad to him. 'And judging by what you are wearing I guess a kimono is not what people wear anymore.' She said to him as she looked at her ol kimono that has been with her forever.