Ayumu sat up straight in rapt attention, his pillow in his lap while he wrapped his arms around it to press it against his chest despite the heat. The cat was sitting before the bed and regarded him unblinkingly. With a theatrical cough, it said, “I believe we should begin with formal introductions- I have heard your name in passing already, of course,” The cat’s eyes seemed to light up despite how brightly lit Ayumu’s room was, “But introductions in our context serve an additional purpose.”

“Is it something like how the kuchisake-onna isn’t allowed to enter households?” Ayumu asked it, genuinely curious.

“You could say that,” The cat nodded, a satisfied look on its face, “I would go as far as to say that the underlying principles are almost the same. However, that particular lecture must wait for another day- if you are to receive it at all.”

“Now, please introduce yourself.” The cat instructed Ayumu, and he narrowed his eyes in response,

“I want to know what introductions exactly do before I decide whether I want to or not.” He said cooly, and against his expectations, the cat looked oddly pleased.

“Do you believe me incapable of lying?” The cat said, its voice dripping amusement, “If it is indeed a trap, I would expect asking the person setting the trap to describe its mechanism is rather futile, no?”

“You know, I won’t start trusting you more if you blatantly point out that I don’t have any way to verify what you’re saying.” Ayumu said drily, his posture relaxing as he placed his chin on the pillow he was clinging to, “In fact, you’re actively making me want to speak with you less.”

“It is a double-edged sword, yes.” The cat replied, his tone slightly condescending, “But I want to encourage caution against readily providing your name to spirits.”

“But- you do have the means to verify my truthfulness.” The cat turned its gaze to Ayumu’s breast pocket which bulged with the small book he had gotten from the bookstore.

“...Of course. Of course this book has something to do with it.” Ayumu sighed to himself as he took it out to look at it, “I should have realized it as soon as you mentioned that you were in the shop.”

“The book you hold in your hand is no mere travelogue, yes.” The cat said, and Ayumu thought he detected subtle emotions in its voice. A hint of pride and perhaps… affection? “It is the life’s work of one of the greatest humans to ever live, and the greatest Spiritual Master, period. The aggregation of centuries of experiences and wisdom, written in nearly all widely-spoken human languages, and containing everything one needs to know about the Unseen Realm.” It announced, its tone exceedingly bombastic. Ayumu, despite feeling rather wrong-footed, not in small part because of how ridiculous the whole thing sounded with the combination of the cat’s voice and over-the-top dramatic tone, kept his face straight and suppressed the urge to burst out laughing.

“It is known by many names, but in the prestige language of my time it was known as the Liber Nominum Universalia.” Ayumu tried to repeat the name to himself in his head so as to not forget. He wanted to ask the cat its name in Japanese, but before he could even form the words the cat continued, “Its name in your language is Aoao no Ashimoto, I believe.”

“Wait- are you serious?” Ayumu exclaimed instantly, a vaguely bemused expression breaking through the stoic facade he was attempting to put on, “The Japanese title of this unique, uber-important book is a pun?”

“Well…” The cat seemed rather embarrassed and annoyed, “My Master had a rather… eclectic sense of humor.” It said rather defensively, “He found your culture and language’s fascination with worldplay to be very amusing, so he decided to name it such, I presume.” The cat looked rather cross as it added, “I voiced my concerns but he simply laughed and said ‘One mustn’t take themselves so seriously all the time, it signals insecurity in one’s self-conception.’ or something along those lines.”

The cat turned its nose up disapprovingly as it said those words, its demeanor uncannily like one of those snooty women who turned their nose up at anything they deemed to be “low-class” behavior, and it was becoming harder and harder for Ayumu to keep his laughter in check.

...Maybe he really was losing his mind and all of this was going on in his head.

“But I vehemently disagree!” The cat exclaimed, unheeding of Ayumu’s quiet struggle. “Regardless, that name takes inspiration from this land’s ancient name, ‘Ashihara no Nakatsukuni’.” The cat continued, almost instantly regaining its more dignified demeanor.

“So, uh, I can use this…” Ayumu braced himself a little before attempting to pronounce the name, “Liber Nominum Universalia to know what introducing myself to spirits might do?”

“Indeed.” The cat said simply. “Open it and turn the page with the intent to find the section about introducing oneself to spirits under the chapter titled ‘Customs of the Spirits’.”

Ayumu sighed, “I assume I don’t need to bring out my magnifying glass to read this either,” He said, the sarcasm ringing hollow even to him, “Just… will it into a reasonable size.”

“More or less, yes.” The cat concurred, and Ayumu was thankful that it decided to overlook his tone.

He stared at the cover of the book once again, concentrating and imagining it enlarging to the size of one of his textbooks. Moments passed, and with each silent moment he felt more and more silly when the book refused to do anything. Before long he had enough and placed the book in front of him on the bed and buried his face in the pillow that was now lying on his lap.

“...Mayhaps the boy doth protest too much, methinks.” The cat quipped drily, “It seems that the time is still not right and you are still too distressed for us to continue at any capacity.”

“I’m sorry…” Ayumu said into the pillow in a small voice, not really sure whether he was sincere or whether it was his people-pleasing nature. A part of him was happy about how unproductive this conversation was turning out to be.

...He was running from his problems again. But could anyone blame him? There were myriads of problems and issues in the world, and he had the kind which he could not discuss with neither his friends nor his parents. The kind of problem most people could never understand or experience. The kind of problem which left him feeling like he was alone in this world, where no one is willing or able to stand by him or protect him.

As though hearing his thoughts, the cat spoke up, “While I am unable to understand your feelings completely, as my kind has rather different mindsets compared to humans, I do know that you might be weary of bearing the kind of burden with which other humans cannot emphasize.”

“...Maybe it would be better if I sealed this stuff up again.” Ayumu looked up from the pillow pensively, his thoughts wandering to the dark corners of his mind that had been untrodden for so many years, “I almost think dying early would be easier. Maybe everyone will be better off-”

“I would wager,” The cat interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, “There are a whole host of things in the world that look easier compared to dying to a human. But I assure you, as someone who has experienced “Death” twice, it is an experience you want to postpone for as long as possible, even if you are not that enamoured by the prospect of living.”

“Well, you’re still here even though you died twice. Does that even count?” Ayumu asked, feeling so drained that he couldn’t even summon enough energy to sound angry and impatient.

“It is because I have died twice and returned that my words have weight.” The cat said simply, “If death is such an undesirable thing for one to whom death is not a definite conclusion to this life, then it is infinitely more undesirable to creatures for whom death is a reality both inevitable and irreversible.”

Ayumu hummed pensively in response, and for some reason the cat still seemed affected by his words. Ayumu noted dully that it looked at him with its luminous eyes with a subtle melancholy rather than the pity or condescension he expected.

“Among your friends,” The cat spoke up after a few moments, “You could confide in one of them about your situation, if you so wished. I could arrange for them to be able to see and hear as you do even if they lack the Senses.”

Ayumu’s head snapped up and he looked at the cat with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and a mix of relief and elation filled his heart, “A-are you serious?”

“I am- there is a method for you to share your Senses among people lacking aptitude… But as you are, I do not believe that you can sustain more than one person.” It replied, a strange sparkle in its eyes.

Ayumu’s mind raced; he knew who the obvious choice was. He was the only one who was willing to say “I believe you” when the world thought of him as unbalanced or attention-seeking. Even though Ayumu believed deep down that he couldn’t really understand or fully believe him, he really needed someone, anyone to tell him that “I believe you” back in those dark days.

But… his more rational side curbed his sudden burst of hope. He knew in the back of his mind that this impulse was ultimately a very selfish one, and he would never forgive himself if his selfishness led to his dear friend getting hurt… or worse.

“Would- wouldn’t any person I share my “senses” with also be in danger?” Ayumu asked the cat, dreading the answer he was going to receive.

“Yes and no.” The cat said and Ayumu felt his frustration mount at the lack of simple answers, “To be concise, in situations where Spirits and the Fae could pose a tangible threat of harm, they would be able and willing to target both you and your friend regardless of spiritual capabilities. Do you think only those with the senses encounter and are entrapped by the Other?”

“That…” Ayumu felt conflicted. While he understood on an intellectual level, the prospect of being responsible for-

No, he couldn’t bear to even form the thought. He would not endanger his friends because of his selfishness. He took a deep breath to steel himself.

“I need some more time to think about… stuff.” He told the cat, looking into its eyes calmly. “I’m not sure I can really-”

Before he could finish the sentence, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and heard the faint buzz.

“I- excuse me, let me check…” He looked at the phone to see that it was his mother calling him. He hurriedly answered the phone, “Hello? Mom?”

“Hello hello-” His mother answered in an airy voice, and the sheer lightheartedness in her voice made him feel a sense of whiplash, the stark contrast to his own mental state was staggering, “Did you eat the curry rice I left for you in the fridge, Ayumu-kun?”

“...Yes.” He said, honestly unable to really process how he was supposed to act in this situation.

“Aw, where’s the enthusiasm? Did you have a fight with Masaru-kun again?” She asked, and Ayumu sorely wished he had just faked being in a good mood.

“No Mom, I’m just feeling a bit… tired.” He said, deciding against saying something that would imply that he was sick to avoid more questions, “I guess I’m also a bit bored.”

“I see... “ Ayumu was a bit worried when his mother’s tone changed to become a bit more solemn. “Office is being a bit rough on me today, so it might take me a while to come back home.” She told him, a bit of tiredness seeping into her voice.

Ayumu was hit with a wave of guilt when he realized why his mother began the conversation sounding so chipper. “It’s okay, Mom. It’s fine, I can take care of myself. You take your time over there…”

“I’ll try to get back as soon as possible, okay? Just call me if you start getting anxious.” His mother said, sounding apologetic.

“It’s fine, Mom.” Ayumu insisted, trying to sound a bit more cheerful, “I’m…” He wanted to say that he was used to being home alone by now, but that might have the opposite effect of what he was trying to do. “I think I’m going to invite Masaru over. I hope that’s okay?”

“Oh, it’s absolutely fine!” His mother exclaimed, her voice a bit less strained, “Go ahead, you can order something for both of you as well if you get hungry. I’ve left some money in the usual place.”

Oh… so his mother had anticipated being tied up with work for longer than expected.

“Yeah… thanks, Mom. A-and, don’t worry about me. You can say yes to your colleagues if they invite you to have some drinks with them.” He hesitated slightly before saying the last part, not sure whether it was his place to say.

“...Thank you, Ayumu-kun.” His mother said softly, “I’ll have to go now. Have fun with Masaru-kun. And don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything, alright?

“Alright. Goodbye.” Ayumu said, and his mother hung up.

“Your mother sounds very kind.” The cat said while Ayumu stared at the thin, spiderweb-like cracks running across a corner of his phone’s screen. He wasn’t sure when it happened, probably some time after his attempts to escape the kuchisake-onna.

“Yeah… She sometimes tries too hard to be kind.” Ayumu sighed to himself. He noticed the cat raising its eyebrows at him, but he promptly said, “None of your business.”

“Fair enough.” The cat replied, seemingly not offended. “And I understand that you desire some more time before you are ready to hear anything further. So I will leave this topic for the time being. Our “formal” introduction can wait. For now, you may call me Tomos.”

“Tomos…” Ayumu said the name to himself, “Alright, thanks. You can call me…”

“Ayumu.” Tomos cut him off, “I believe one is supposed to say “Much obliged, I will be in your care.” in this situation?”

“Y-yeah.” Ayumu said, feeling a bit awkward at this rather quick shift. He gave a shallow bow, “I will be in your care as well.” He said formally.

“So, uh,” Ayumu raised his head to look at the cat- no, Tomos, again, “Can other people see or hear you? I wanted to invite my friend over, and my mother will be here tonight. I’d like it if neither of them noticed you…”

“Do not worry. None without the senses may perceive me if I do not will it.” Tomos said imperiously, and he hopped over to the windowsill once more. “You may do as you wish, I shall keep to myself and only interact with you if I wish.”

Ayumu remembered something important and said to Tomos, “So, uh, aren’t there some kinds of… “Others” out there who can enter houses to harm its inhabitants at will?” He asked, “Can you make something like a barrier around the house to keep them out or something?”

The cat let out a small laugh, “That would be my usual course of action under normal circumstances, yes,” Tomos said, “But I am happy to tell you that your impeccable manners did most of the work in this instance.”

Ayumu gave Tomos a confused look, “My… manners?” He asked, not quite sure what it meant.

“By offering me a saucer of milk without my prompting, you invoked a rather old ritual from the land of my origin.” He said, looking exceedingly pleased as he began to groom himself again, “Your household is now guarded against all forms of curses and calamities.”

“In fact,” Tomos continued proudly, “If my usual protection was a fortress with impenetrable walls, the protection you invoked is a fortified city surrounded by uncrossable mountain ranges.”

“Eh…” Ayumu breathed, not quite sure what to make of Tomos’ boastfulness. But nonetheless, he was relieved by those words and brought out his phone to invite his best friend over.