Back at the Shrine, I walked around to the side door and was nearly bulldozed by two half-elves. "Well, hello!" I returned their hugs and began to tell them all about the adventure as they helped me unpack and then followed them to the kitchen, where they showed me the food prepared for lunch.

Fauna had learned quite quickly to use the spiritual speaking technique, and her voice now floated to where it needed to. [[My Lady,]] she said as she worked in the kitchen, [[Freya said you were out getting something that you needed in the mountain?]]

"Yes, I was! I believe that I have acquired it. However, there are several items we are missing. Would you so kind as to help me gather mountain fruit to trade in the village?"

Moto and Gaelan were sitting on the porch off the kitchen smoking, and Gaelan kicked Moto's foot abruptly. I noted that the tall men despite having their differences bonded over pipe and sake.

The fox coughed and glanced about, "oh right, Taka dear."

"Yes?"

"We can also help; there are medicinal herbs that the Shrine of Fukurokuju will find quite useful."

I thought about it, "hm, that's true; if we gather enough resources, I can build a field out back and make it, so the sweet grass grows lush and clean." I lost myself to my muttering, "I need nails, a design plan, as well as making sure I have enough lumber, obviously. We are in the woods, so that won't be a problem, but what do I do about manpower..."

"Taka?" I didn't hear Moto.

"There are several things we still need to prep, such as dehydrating fruits and veggies for winter and storing them; perhaps I can build an ice cellar from my old world and then utilize a root cellar too..."

"Taaaaaka." Moto leaned in and blew on my ear, causing me to shriek.

"What! Oh...ha, sorry!"

"What on earth are you obsessing over?" He sighed with his hand propped under his chin.

"We need improvements for the residence and the shrine, especially if we are to have a comfortable winter." I glanced at him as he sat down next to me, watching Fauna and Freya work on their individual projects.

"Is the residence situation really that bad?"

Looking around, I took stock for a moment. We had freezing crystals, so making an ice cellar would be child's play. "It would be best if we expanded the courtyard, added on a chicken coop, perhaps even a dairy. I would also like to make a greenhouse with glass walls and ceiling to ensure we can grow things year-round and then--"

But Moto's head was spinning, "wait, you have that from your world?"

"Yes. We maneuvered growing, so we could have vegetables fresh year-round."

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were trying to grasp what I had just said. Was it really that revolutionary.

"To think all without magic..."

I fumbled with some paper and a brush and drew out a plan of the courtyard. "Let's see, we have this entire back area behind the bathhouse, and it can connect with the kitchen area. I say we make a trellis, allows for shade, and we can also have prepping done here too for milk and other items once we have it, that we will have the coop off from the (greenhouse), and the dairy and chicken coop shall be here to the right of that."

Everyone was crowding around me and leaning over to see my drawing. "My, such vision, My Lady," Freya said with a smile.

Fauna nodded, [[Indeed, it would be nice to have eggs and milk.]]

"But first!" I felt myself get dark, "we need money because we are (broke)."

"....wait...how are we broken?" Gaelan asked with confusion written across his face. "Do you need healing?" A glow began to form in his hand and I quickly waved it off.

"N-no, it's an expression; we are low on money."

Everyone in the collection "oooohhhhhhhhhhh."

And so operation Get Funds was a go!

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Outside, the birds were singing ecstatically in the early morning as we gathered the countless bounties from the wilderness. Trout leaped from the deeper parts of the river stream, and smaller fish that I had no name for shone silver in the light with rainbow facets.

They also tasted delicious as I found Moto eating one raw like sushi after draining and cleaning it. "Here," he said, handing me a piece expertly sliced. The taste was similar to salmon and tuna combined, a fatty melty tinged with salt flavor. Which was confusing since this was freshwater.

But I was not about to open the Science can of worms in this world just yet.

I watched Fauna and Freya in matching shrine yukata, the red skirts flowing easily as they walked along the rocks and embankment of the river. Moto, priding himself on the ostentatious was in an emerald kimono, white trimmed with golden patterns all over. Gaelan, had stolen a black kimono from Moto, trimmed in red and lightweight for the spring and summer. I glanced down at my on yukata, it was my favorite one with navy and blossoms all over. We really need better clothing for winter too...

We laid back on a large flat rock where the canopy of trees opened up, allowing the mid-spring sun to bake it to a warm glow.

"Ahhhh!" I stretched my sore muscles; Fauna and Freya enjoyed barley tea I had brewed before we left from a small jar we kept in Moto's space storage.

Gaelan was busy bracing his catch of rabbits, an ermine, as well as a beaver onto string to haul over his broad back when we were ready to leave.

Fauna glanced at him and smiled wide, [[Good catch!]]

He gave a brief smile, his cheeks tinting with red slightly, and coughed.

Moto elbowed me as if to say look! I grinned at the fox knowingly and looked back at Fauna and Gaelan. Ohh ho ho ho, is someone interested? Maybe I need to play a matchmaker? Such a diverse fox am I!

Fauna gave a soft laugh before coming over to sit near me, leaning her tiny frame against my arm. We had made a habit, Fauna, Freya, and I; of sharing sisterhood and skin-ship frequently; I supposed psychologically we had been without good things for so long that we wanted to soak up as much affection as we could nowadays. I didn't mind. Touch with them was not scary or threatening. It reminded me of a den full of fox cubs hunkering down as their mother went hunting.

After working our way down the mountain, I realized that the village would be holding the festival in my honor within three days. I had nearly forgotten!

Moto reassured me, "do not fret; they would have sent an envoy to get you. However, as the guest of honor, you must certainly find some other clothing...perhaps we can make a trip to the Heavenly Realm?"

"Where the Torii gate took us?"

"That is in between; so I shall guide you don't fret."

Gaelan was walking alongside us and had thought of something, "speaking of things such as heavenly, why did the Op'Puka call you a field fox?"

I frowned, "a field fox? Is that a Nogitsune or a Yahko?" I paused, realizing I must have touched a sore subject as Moto coughed and looked away. "Y-you don't have to--"

"No, it's just the past never seems to die no matter how old one gets. I did not live a very...fulfilling life in my past life, and my life as a Kitsune was at first filled with vengeance."

"Oh..." both Gaelan and I said.

"But enough talk of sadness, that tale is for another time." Looping my arm through his own, we kept pace as the others chatted about the residence and shrine work.

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Upon reaching the bottom of the mountain, we were greeted by the village guards who bowed-- was it just me, or did they appoint kitsune descendants as guards? I noticed that Moto had combined his nine tails into a bushy flourishing single tail that regally swept behind him.

"It is, so they are aware of who you are," Moto commented as they opened the gate.

The Fox village, as it was called, was bustling with energy. It housed what I suspected to be several hundred people, but no more. The houses were traditional in the fact that it resembled the gassho style of housing. This was probably because we received snow and the accommodation needed to survive such a harsh winter. I tried to think back on my history, that meant this would be... 17th-century housing? Things like this still existed in modern-day Japan--I mean, if it isn't broke, don't fix it-- but I was attempting to figure out what era I was in. Some things were modern, some things were ancient.

The thatch steeply slanted roofing provided excellent protection from snow. Extended families lived within the three to four floors, and each one had a small courtyard in the front or back. However, the village was not condensed like a city; it was spread out to give people room to work. Where it was a bit closer was the Market Center as I came to call it. Shops and stalls ran several blocks of space in a straight line, allowing them to quickly move from one place to another. Carts, palanquins, horses, and people all congregated on the roads. Moving as if to a rhythm of their own within the heart of the village.

As we walked to the market, I glanced at Moto, who had our stall set up in his giant bag of space storage. I just called it a black hole, of which no one understood.

But at least it gave me a giggle.

Greetings and friendly waves followed us where we went, people crowding around offering fried tofu and veggies from their garden. I humbly took them, realizing if I did not, they would be disheartened.

"We had hoped you would visit. If not, we would have sent you goods." A woman said, smiling while holding my hand gently.

I gave her a full beaming smile back, "you are too kind!"

As we moved on, we finally got to an empty space in the market, and Moto set to yanking the stall Gaelan made out of the black void that was his bag.

People were not phased, and I found this surprising.

"Kitsune." Someone told a non-descendant with a shrug as if that one word explained every odd thing we would ever do.

The gang got the stall set up, and Fauna, Freya, and the guard dog, as I called him, Gaelan, were set up to handle selling our array of items while Moto took me shopping.

We luckily had some funds left over enough to buy several items we needed from the general store. I got a jar of oil, along with several lines of deer intestines filled with its own lard that was housed above its tail to make candles with tallow. Thick pork sausages were smoking in the back, sniffing the air I drooled. "Are any sausages available?"

The man leaped up and nodded enthusiastically, "indeed dear Messenger, we recently had a fat pig slaughtered; we also have the lard available too. Would you need that?"

"I will take 5 copper lyals worth of lard and two silver lyals worth of sausages." I placed the money into his hand, and as he went to get my goods, I counted.

Lyals were the base of the currency of Tatsu. The money was as follows: copper, silver, and gold, and then a double gold. A double gold was twice the weight of a single. However, it was linked to a precious mineral that I could not pronounce. That made it worth three of the gold's worth. In essence: 5 Copper became 1 silver, 10 silver became one gold, and three golds became one double gold.

Moto was leaning on the counter, looking over my shoulder, "counting?"

"Mmhm. I think we have enough to get some fabric to make an outfit for the ceremony. The magic the Op'Puka gave me should help?"

"If you know the make of it, yes."

"I do."

Moto tilted his head, "how do you have all this knowledge at your disposal?"

I couldn't tell him it was because I was never allowed outside my home from turning ten to when I died. All I had, was a parental locked phone and computer and schooling that I went to and from. But at lunch, I spent the majority of my days in the library or computer room devouring any and all exciting topics.

This world was about to get spun on its head. And it would benefit my village first! Of that, I would be most certain!

"I just loved to read," I said in a pitched voice.

He sensed there was more and had picked up a long strand of hair that had strayed and tucked it back behind my ear. "One day, you will see fit to tell me, but I know not all tales can be told...sometimes even for centuries."

His eyes looked clouded, and my heart clenched for a moment. I pat the side of his face reassuringly, much to his surprise. "It's okay, I won't ask."

Moto smiled at me, eyes brightening. "Thank you, Taka," he had to lean down to bump his forehead to mine, noses brushing, and twined the tip of his tail with my own in a gesture of affection.

I turned beet red when I heard the shop keep cough behind me; I leaped back away from Moto in embarrassment.

Moto was laughing heartily, his head thrown back. "So easy to tease my little vixen."

"Shut up!" I smacked him.

Suddenly, as I glanced at the items before me and remembered the wrapped inari sushi and other things, I blinked rapidly.

A ball of foxfire burst above my head like a light bulb. "AHA!" I paused, "oops," I waved the ball away and glanced at the startled shop keep and fox. "I need cotton fabric, beeswax, pine resin, and a brush; where can I find these things?"

Moto shook his head, "what on earth are you going to make?"

"You'll see!"

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The sales went well! We had received for our goods a total of fifteen silver and 20 copper. Not bad! I walked down the road with Freya and Fauna at my side. We allowed the men to go to the tavern across the way. "Come! Let's get some fabric!"

The tailor shop was beautifully built on the inside, wooden hangers held beautiful kimono off the ground, and yukata adorned in hand-painted patterns. There were even several kosode! i was surprised to see the outfit with small armholes based off of the prior kantoi. It appeared that given the garments at least, we were in the Kamakura period, where samurai rose to power, so the 12th century. But then I found that she even had items dating from the Edo period!

This world...ugh, it was like God just slapped in whatever they wanted from the other world and thought ya sure, let's keep this.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in a show of impatience at The Creator.

"Taka?" Freya asked, "are you, displeased?"

"No, not at all; I am just astonished to see such beautiful work! It is hard to choose!" I pointed to one kimono, "this is called Tegaki-Yuzen. It is where they hand-paint the motifs, see the birds? It is called in short Yuzen, however..." I was about to ask if they stencil designed kimonos yet, but that might make some people's brains melt at the forward-thinking, they may not even know what a stencil was. I adored the obi patterned with petals and gorgeous greens.

However, a specific design caught my eye; the fabric's color was dyed a gorgeous teal, I wondered how it was done, and I tapped the tailor on the shoulder, gaining her attention. "I need this fabric, and I would like two lengths of this here, two lengths of that trim, as well as two lengths of the green and the purple."

The tailor hopped to it and gathered everything that was needed. With a discount that I was not allowed to refuse, it came to two silver and five copper. With the thread and buttons and other adornments for getting ourselves ready for the festival, we headed to find the menfolk.

"Girls, stay here," I said, patting Freya's arm in comfort before heading in.

It reeked of booze and smoke; I fought to not scrunch my nose up in distaste; Gaelan and Moto were sitting in what looked to be a relatively comfortable lounge with cups of sake and pipes lit up like fireworks.

Sighing, I walked over. "Gentlemen?" I said, tapping Moto on the shoulder, "it is barely past noon, and you are drinking?"

Moto shrugged, "when you are this old such things don't matter. Time is irrelevant to me."

"Well, that's falling down the philosophic rabbit hole."

"Sorry?" Gaelan said, tilting his head.

"N-Nothing, Freya, and Fauna are outside." Both decided this was not a good thing, so they quickly got up, but not before we heard a cry that made me turn heel and run to the entryway.

"Fauna?!" I caught sight of a massive brute grabbing her by the hair.

"Who said you could get in my way!" He shouted in her face.

The villagers were attempting to get him to let go, "no!" They cried, "that is the messenger's servant!"

Big Brute laughed, "who is a messenger and why should I ca--" his voice cut off in an unearthly howl as I lifted my leg high and brought it down, slamming my heel into his wrist. With a snap the joint shattered, leaving the hand limp. With another swift turn, I smashed my foot into the side of his face sending him careening into a stall.

"How DARE YOU?!" The words snarled out of the open concave that was my mouth filling with fangs.

Freya was trying to keep hold of her sister, Fauna, weeping brokenly as she clutched at her head. The sight only served to pour gasoline on an already out of control fire.

Gaelan rushed over and scooped up the girl with tender care, crooning words to her in what appeared to be another language. Is he speaking elven? She quieted herself and nuzzled her face into his neck, her tears soaking his skin. Freya kept behind Gaelan and clutched a tiny hand into his armor.

"My lady, it was our fault we bumped into him--"

A look silenced her. Turning to the now lumbering Brute of a man, I tilted my head. "Who do I thank for the ill-treatment of my precious friend?"

Fauna's breath hitched at the word friend and not slave. And she began to blubber in tears again, but this time it appeared out of gratitude.

Moto suddenly appeared next to me, a heavy hand upon my shoulder. "Shhh, Taka, you are frightening your people."

Glancing around, he was right; there were non-descendants here who were probably witnessing a Kitsune's fury for the first time. It would not be wise to make myself seem a villain. I tried to breathe in and out to calm my anger.

Moto smiled, "let me handle him."

I frowned, "very well, I shall see to the village elder." The woman had appeared relatively fast and approached me as I walked stiffly over. "Elder, I deeply apologize for frightening everyone." I bowed low red marring my cheeks in embarrassment.

I hardly paid attention to the sounds of a large mountain of a man being throttled by a full-grown fox. "You have no manners!" I barely caught most of the scolding Moto was giving him as comically the villagers attempted not to laugh as he was flung this way and that by the collar of his robe by a smiling friendly fox keeping the tone and air to his voice as if talking about the weather. "Did your mother not teach you to be courteous to a lady!?" He continued, beating him with his folding fan violently.

I turned back to the village Elder, and blushing bright bowed again, "and for that!"

She smiled at me with concern, "messenger, please raise your head. You are not in the wrong here. Normally, our guests have manners this..." she couldn't seem to find a word, "heathen obviously did not know our ways."

"Not all know of our kind, I was concerned about Fauna, I am looking forward to the festival."

I startled at the loud scream, and smash that indicated Moto hadn't even bothered to drag him to the gate but flung him over the wooden wall instead. Dusting his hands off, he made his way back to my side and leaning on me with his arm draped over. "Moto!" I said, annoyed.

"Awe, my little vixen got mad for the first time!" He nuzzled my cheek with his nose while squeezing me close to him, having to bend over at the waist just to reach me from his massive height.

"Get off me ya old fox!" But I was laughing as he crooned.

He sniffed me and frowned, "you reek." And promptly wrapped me up in what was now his entire nine tails, leaving my head up above the fur to talk to the Elder.

My expression was one of annoyed interest, "thank you?"

"You're welcome." He said, ignoring my ire to keep nuzzling our cheeks together, the fur on his ears tickling my face.

The Elder was chortling now in glee, "never boring with the fox clan around, is it?"

I glanced over at Gaelan, who had Fauna on his knee and was gently applying ointment to her face and rubbing her bruised scalp tenderly. Her big eyes looking up at him like a kicked puppy. She IS a kicked puppy!!!! Ugh, I wanna go skin him alive...maybe he's still here...

"Temper," Moto warned.

"Please take this salve and healing herbs for your companion, Messenger." A villager handed me a basket, and soon the locals had come to check on Fauna and Freya, praising them and offering comfort much to the twins overwhelmed expressions of affection and acceptance.

We gathered ourselves and our goods and with Gaelan carrying Fauna, Freya close to her sister. And myself still wrapped up in at least a few of Moto's tails, we walked towards home.