Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Graaar!
"What the f—!"
Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Maw! Maw!
"Chill, fam!"
Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Tiptoe.
Frrrrsh!
"A Dios mío!"
Wait a second.
I speak Spanish?
A heavy sigh swept past my lips.
"Please," I begged. "Just give me a break. If I can just get to where I work in one piece, I'll be golden."
I dragged my feet through the desolate neighborhood, goosebumps riddling my skin as the slightest sounds shook me harder than a bona fide mugger. Up above, the silky sky of black grinned my way, tormenting me with a fleet of shimmering stars—hope condensed into tiny packets.
Down below, no such things thrived; only an eeriness that slithered around my body like a symbiote. Blacked out houses. Empty streets. The impression that the world had gone into full doomsday mode.
I had slipped through at least a dozen portals, yet the depravity never changed. Neighborhood after neighborhood, I felt my blood cool down a few degrees, to the point where I could've sworn shards of ice slid against my veins.
I glanced down at the compass in my hand.
The needle pointed forward.
The right way.
Well, this is a crock of sh*t.
I don't get paid. I don't even get a pat on the back. All I get are bruises from Agatha tackling me and a dumb*ss compass THAT DOESN'T EVEN WORK.
Half of me (or maybe a little more) wanted to chuck this hunk of junk into the nearest bush, but I knew that as soon I lost this piece of scrap, Malak would be on me like white on rice.
"You threw what away?" he'd ask. "Do you not understand my generosity!?"
Yeah. So generous it broke only after a couple weeks.
Probably used the cheap metal to save money.
At the moment, I couldn't physically throw up, but you could understand my frustration and/or disgust.
In any case, I forged ahead, and thankfully (or maybe not?), after stepping through my umpteenth portal, the scenery around me did change.
Was it any less terrifying?
Of course not.
Rather than a shady looking neighborhood, I now found myself in the creepiest of graveyards; the Bugatti of cemeteries, as the kids say.
They say stuff like that, right?
We had it all: cracked tombstones with wicked writing; unkempt grass littered with dead vines and branches; a sea of trees acting as the walls, complete with ominous shadows that flickered from the corners of my eyes; and to top it all off, a light fog rolled all throughout, as if I'd been plopped into an arena where you fix generators. (Screw those QTEs.)
I soaked in the situation.
This is looking . . . really bad.
In the distance, high-pitched laughter echoed.
Really, really bad.
For a second, my cell phone crossed my mind, but the idea crumbled just as it had surfaced.
I never did get their house number, did I?
Do phones even work here?
Next came the rumbling, low and steady like the growls of a demonic beast.
"Come again?" I asked.
The reply: a pair of glowing dots, emerging through the forest like menacing fireflies.
It took only point-zero-one seconds for my instincts to kick in.
F*ck that sh*t, I'm out, hey, hey~.
I slid over to the nearest headstone and crouched, making sure that no hungry eyes could latch onto me.
Is this the night? I wondered. Is this the moment where I get nommed on like a Starbucks bagel?
The rumbling intensified.
My deepest regrets seeped out my chest.
I knew I should've played all those games I bought. Damn you, spring sale. Damn you.
But maybe Lady Life wanted me to stick around just a little longer, for as the dots of lights evolved into beams, and the thunderous growls tore through the leaves, I saw not a mountainous demon enter the scene but a . . . a bus; you know, like the ones you'd find in New York.
Sort of.
The general shape stayed the same—a rectangular box of metal with windows open on either side. However, some differences could be, um, noted.
For one, the silver part of the wheels had been replaced with human bones, as white and crisp as snow, despite being attached to, you know, wheels. On one side of the vehicle, a painting of a hooded figure riding a wooden boat showed, while the other side revealed a portrait of the Grim Reaper ready to slice with his scythe.
Tiny creatures rode atop the roof, the breeze brushing against their sharpened ears as they slept peacefully.
As for inside the bus, no souls could be seen save the driver, hooded just like the one riding the boat. He turned carefully through the graveyard, steering his wheel of human remains, before stopping the bus right in the center.
The glass door beside him slid apart.
Is he waiting for me? I wondered, peeking over the top of the headstone. Please don't tell me I just triggered some kind of quest.
Apparently not, for in the next moment, the top of someone's head appeared through the windows. Basking in the color orange, it donned a pair of fox-like ears decorated with white fluff.
What do we have here?
The mini figure approached the front of the vehicle, where a gentle, feminine voice spilled into the air.
"Thank you, Charon," she said. "Keep the tip."
The figure then sauntered down the steps and through the doorway, blessing the scene with the presence of an actual fox girl. Her skin fair, she flaunted a tiny body, like that of an elementary schooler, dressed in a red and white kimono and Japanese sandals. Protruding through her clothes, her orange tail (extremely fluffy) wagged peacefully in spite of the setting she had just entered.
She turned to face the driver.
"I'll see you again soon," she said.
The hooded figure nodded, and after shutting the bus's doors, he drove off, leaving the loli to her wits.
What is happening?
The fox girl stretched.
"That sure was a long ride," she sighed. "I might have to take a nap when I get home."
Do you live here? If you do, then giiirl, you need to relocate.
The newcomer curled her lips sweetly.
"I wonder what they'll say when they see me.
"But first . . ."
Her smile soon shifted into a smirk as she shot her finger right at where I hid.
"You there! Come on out!"
Heh?
. . .
HEEEEEEEH!?
My heart went wild.
No way.
No way.
No way.
She can't know that I'm here.
"I know you're there."
She knows I'm here.
That is less than ideal.
The wires of my mind twisted into a frenzy, flailing around like mad.
Quick, you college student! Use your cunning intelligence to save your booty!
The plan came together like pieces to a puzzle, and with confidence that only a king could realize, I rose into sight.
Our eyes met.
I waved my arms.
"Ooooh~. I'm not a human~. I'm a ghoOoOoOst~. Spooky ghoOoOoOst~. I'm one of you~."
. . .
. . .
. . .
Silence.
. . .
. . .
. . .
More silence.
I had never seen a fox girl have so much pity.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Like flames, my cheeks felt like, and in that moment, I wanted to do nothing more than crawl into one of those caskets beneath me.
That's the best you could come up with!? College student, my ass! How did you even get accepted!?
"B-Being a ghost . . ." I answered, embarrassed.
"You gonna do that all night?"
I shook my head. "No . . ."
Please, just kill me.
Put me out of my misery.
"You're an odd one." The fox girl smiled. "Lucky for you, I like odd ones!"
"Does that mean you're not gonna whack me?" I asked, hopeful.
"Heavens, no! If anything, I wanna just wrap you in a blanket and hug you till the sun comes up!"
My overwhelming terror went to sleep with the fishes, while my confusion popped by to have a chat.
Are you sure you made the right stop? This is the demon world, you know?
The fox girl approached me.
"You must be a mortal, I take it?" she guessed.
"That easy to figure out, huh?"
"Well, you usually aren't worried about being 'whacked' unless you're not from around here."
Fair enough.
"How did you get in here? Accidentally trip through a portal?"
"You can accidentally come here?" I asked.
"But of course!" the fox girl answered. "This world is open twenty-four-seven! We take pride in that."
What is this, a Seven Eleven?
"Right . . ." I said. "Well, truth be told, I came here on purpose. Let's just say, I have a weird job."
"You have a job? Here?" The fox girl couldn't believe it. "And it's not to be maimed?"
"Not a big fan of those one-time gigs, you know."
I then proceeded to explain my situation to the newcomer, up to and including my jerkface of a boss. (Names not included, 'cause I don't want this fox snitchin'.)
"That's terrible!" the fox girl cried. "You must have been so scared walking all by yourself."
Not as scared as I was annoyed.
The girl went to pet my head but stopped short.
"I, um, I probably shouldn't touch you so casually," she said, nervous. "We did just meet and all."
"As long as you don't try to nom on me, you can touch wherever you want. Wait, that didn't come out right . . ."
The newcomer giggled.
"You really are an odd one," she said.
Says the furry who came to a graveyard on a bus, but okay.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"MC."
She's gonna call me that eventually, anyways, so might as well get a head start.
"Well, MC"—the fox girl gestured to herself—"my name is Senko. How would you like to come to my home while we try to get this compass thing sorted?"
I shrugged. "Beats being in this graveyard."
"Are you kidding? The vibes here are excellent!"
I could've sworn a bone just fell from that branch over there.
I muttered, "Your definition of 'excellent' and mine must be very different."
"In any case, follow me," Senko urged. "I'll be sure to cook you up something nice once I get back to my kitchen."
Please no marrow stew or anything like that.
Otherwise, I'm gonna starve.
Thus, with the rancid (at least, to me) odor of the graveyard choking our nostrils, we made ourselves scarce from the place, hopping through a portal to wind up back at a blacked out neighborhood.
Senko nodded with delight.
"Umu!" she sang. "I definitely know the way from here!"
Well, thank God for that, because I'll be damned if I end up at a haunted pizzeria or something. Graveyard's enough for me.
Along the way, the fox girl pampered me with questions:
What I did in the human world;
Did I get along with my classmates;
Was I eating a healthy, balanced diet.
If I didn't know any better, I'd assume I was her child from a previous life. Then again, if I came from the dimension of pure-blooded demons, I'm pretty sure I'd remember.
That and this fox girl was just too young to be anybody's mama.
Right?
"What about you, Senko?" I asked. "Where did that bus pick you up from? And why did you want to be dropped off in a graveyard of all places?"
"To answer that second part, I already told you," the fox girl answered. "The atmosphere there just does wonders for my mood!"
Well, I thought maybe the plants nearby had made you high, and that was why you answered the way you did.
I guess not.
Senko smiled shyly. "As for the first question, truth be told, I also came from the mortal world."
Well, color me demon and call me Pinky.
"Say what?" I asked.
"I'm officially a caretaker over there," Senko explained. "Some of you humans just don't know how to take care of yourselves, and since there isn't really any jobs I can do in this world, I figured cleaning up after your people would be the next best thing."
Her smugness came through.
"I am the model mother, after all!"
Like, metaphorically, right?
(*snicker*)
Senko read my doubt like a bad haiku.
"You don't believe me?" she asked.
No.
But I'm not gonna say that.
I've learned my lesson to never take appearances at face value in this world. I mean, one minute you have a cute teddy bear; next thing you know, it turns into an animatronic with a mouth for a stomach.
No thanks.
"Just trying to forget that graveyard smell is all," I lied.
Senko barely bought it.
She folded her arms. "Just you wait. Once we reach my home, I'm gonna pamper you until you're crying tears of joy."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Speaking of her house, it must've been close to Malak's, because the neighborhoods we now passed seemed oddly familiar.
In fact, the neighborhood we strolled through right now had me tilting my head in confusion.
Wait a second.
Haven't I been here before?
You know, I think I have, actually. Look, there's the tall iron fence, the gothic-like exterior, the window that Agatha stares through to catch me coming, the—
The two of us stepped towards the front door.
Yo.
Hold on a second.
Senko gave a few knocks.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
"Senko," I said, "is this, like, a friend's house or somethin'? Did you actually forget the way to your house and just didn't want to admit it?"
"No, silly." The fox girl couldn't have been more confident. "This is my house."
Heh?
From the other side, a wave of footsteps, followed by the door opening to reveal the grumpy visage of my cheap boss.
"Where the hell have you been!?" Malak growled, his brow furrowed. "I'm gonna be late because of you!"
But before I could shove the broken compass in his face, my fox companion sprung to my aid.
"Now, Ma-kun!" she bellowed, her finger pressed against his chest. "That is not how we talk to our guests!"
Ma-kun?
Instantly, as if a different bulb had popped off in his head, Malak's mood made a one-eighty. The annoyance, the irritation, wiped clean, replaced with a hung jaw and genuine disbelief.
"H-Honeypop?" he asked. "Is that you?"
Senko smiled. "In the flesh."
Like a father finding his long-lost daughter, Malak lunged forward to give his fox visitor the most loving of bear hugs.
"Honeypop!" he squealed. "It's really you!"
"Of course it is!" Senko giggled. "Who else would it be?"
By the way, I still had my jaw hung; in fact, I could feel my chin scrape against the floor.
"I thought you weren't coming till the morning," Malak said.
"Lord Anos let me come a bit early," Senko explained. "He just loved my cinnamon twists!"
"That's my darling! Always a winner!"
Malak twirled her around like he would Agatha.
"What am I looking at?" I whispered.
Apparently, loud enough, for after their Cinderella reenactment, Senko set her focus on me.
"Ah, I'm so sorry, MC!" she said. "I almost forgot about ya! How rude of me."
Don't worry; I'm used to it.
"Honeypop," Malak said, "you know this simpleton?"
Oy.
Senko gaped. "Wait a second. You know MC, Ma-kun?"
Ma-kun . . . Really? That's a thing?
"Remember that weird job I told you about?" I asked Senko. "This is that weird job."
I then went on to explain my roles in this household, including but not limited to, a) being chased by a spunky little demon girl, b) never being able to finish my homework because of the girl from part "a", and c) constantly fearing the inevitable that my soul will be yanked from my body.
Typical babysitter vibes.
Senko let shine her fascination.
"You're the one babysitting Agatha?" she asked. "I was wondering why my daughter had such happy vibes as of recently."
Pause.
"Did you just say . . . your daughter?"
"That's right! I'm the mother of this household!"
Malak lent her a smooch on the cheek.
"And the best wife of all~," he sang.
The fox girl blushed. "Oh, you~."
Chotto matte! Wait a second, wait a second! I know you did not just call this UNDERAGED your wife. Someone get Chris Hansen on the phone immediately!
"No offense," I said, "but isn't Senko, like, thirteen? And you're, as the kids say, 'old as hell,' Malak."
Again, the fox girl blushed.
"Why, you~," she sang. "Do I look that young? I'm only eight hundred years old."
I had the tightest lips in all of mankind.
"Eight . . . Eight hundred? Like, eight, zero, zero? A hundred times eight. That eight hundred?"
"Umu!"
You can't make this sh*t up.
And just when I figured the chaos couldn't explode any further, in came the sweetest (at times) little demon girl.
Agatha stomped down the stairs, her excitement bold.
"Is MC here, Daddy!?" she asked.
But her attention quickly melted from me as she met gazes with our fox friend.
"Mama!" Agatha dashed forward to hug the noticeably shorter Senko as tight as she could.
Eight hundred, huh?
Okay.
"Dearie!" Senko sang, stroking her daughter's hair. "I'm so glad to see you!"
Once they finally managed to separate, the fox lady admired the sight.
"Look how big you've gotten!"
Agatha's smugness rivaled no one's (except maybe her mom's).
"I've been eating my wheaties!" she bragged.
No, she hasn't. I saw her munching on some Twizzlers last night!
Nonetheless, the little demon girl wouldn't let go of that powerful pride.
"I thought you weren't coming till tomorrow?" she noted.
"Nakano-dono let me off a little early," Senko explained. "I came to see you as soon as I could!"
Nakano-dono?
I kept my lips locked. Better to watch this family reunion in silence than awkward it up like I usually do.
After all the sappy notes had finished their swaying, Malak made his way to the front door.
"I'd better get going," he told his family. He glared at me. "Because of somebody, I had to leave Slenderman hanging."
Yes. You're late because I'm late. Not because you hugged your wife and daughter for seven minutes straight. Makes sense.
Senko kissed him on the cheek.
"Have a good night at work," she said. "I'll see you when you get back."
They hugged for the billion-and-oneth time before the head of the house left to go catch dat bread.
I, too, started to take my own leave.
"Welp. Guess I'll be heading back home," I said.
Agatha frowned. "You're leaving?"
"But your mom's here."
The smol demon girl lowered her head. "I just thought it'd be fun . . . if we all played together."
My heart went hnnnnng! with guilt.
Damn you, you cutie patootie! Damn you.
"I don't see why not," Senko said. "You're here to babysit, anyway, MC. Why don't you just think of it as me helping you?"
Agatha shook me down with her puppy dog eyes.
I smiled shyly. "Well, I am already here."
Besides, the compass is broke, ya doofus. You're gonna end up in another graveyard if you walk out that door.
Agatha shot her hands into the air.
"Yay!" she cheered. "A night with mama and MC! I can't wait!"
And what a night it was. For once, Agatha didn't try to chase me around the house or bare her slicey-dicey claws at me. Heck, she even left me alone when I said I had to work on some worksheets.
I guess when Mama Fox's in town, all the little kiddies get put on their best behavior.
When the three of us actually were together, we spent the time playing a myriad of board games Senko had tucked away inside her sleeves.
(How she did that, I had absolutely no clue.)
(Side note: Demonopoly is bullsh*t. If I get sent to jail one more f*ckin' time . . .)
Eventually, Agatha's bedtime crept up on her, signaled by her constant struggle to keep her eyes open at the table.
"Looks like it's time for you to go dream, dearie," Senko said softly.
"N-No . . ." Agatha argued, half asleep. "Gotta . . . Gotta play with mama . . . and MC . . . some more . . ."
Just like that, the Zs caught up to the smol demon girl, and her head tilted down as she blew light snores.
Senko turned to me. "Excuse me for a moment."
She then waved her finger, forcing Agatha's body to gently lift into the air and levitate.
I guess when your daughter's bigger than you, you can't, exactly, carry her the old-fashioned way.
Still, the fox woman guided her daughter's body as if she did carry her—full of genuine love and care.
Senko brought Agatha upstairs, and after (I could only assume) tucking her in, the mama fox came back to the kitchen.
"It looks like we'll have to finish this game another time, dear," she said.
"No problem," I assured.
Pretty sure I was about to get stomped, anyway.
"I guess I can head back now."
I made my way to the front door, Senko right behind me.
"You sure you'll be all right?" she asked, worried. "Do you know the way?"
"Well, considering my compass is toast, no. But I guess I'll try my best?"
Maybe I'll end up at that pizzeria, after all.
Senko smiled. "Here."
She levitated upward to my height, and as she pointed her finger at my forehead, a pink glow blossomed from the tip.
Instantly, the way back to my dorm played in my head, over and over again like a mini film on repeat.
I raised my eyebrows.
"How did you . . . ?"
Senko winked. "A kitsune has her ways."
"Well, thanks. I appreciate it."
"Umu! And I take it I'll be seeing you here tomorrow morning?"
"Tomorrow morning?" I repeated. "Why so early?"
"What do you mean? For Agatha's birthday, of course!"
Heh?
"Her what?"
"Her birthday," Senko said, matter of fact. "My little angel is growing up so fast."
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
"Agatha's birthday is tomorrow!?" I bellowed, just low enough not to wake her.
"Yes. You didn't know?"
"Didn't have a freakin' clue."
Senko sighed. "Ma-kun must've been so focused on preparing everything that he forgot to mention it. He tends to get like that."
Or he just didn't care enough to tell me. That is also a very big possibility.
Then again, I'm pretty Agatha has been yapping about it the entire time.
Probably shouldn't have tuned her out.
I fit the pieces together.
"That would explain why you're here," I said.
"Umu!" Senko hummed. "Ma-kun and I have the perfect plan for Agatha to have the best birthday. Won't you consider coming, MC? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to have you tag along!"
"Well, tomorrow is Saturday . . ."
Plus, I'd actually really love to see more of tame Agatha. Her adorability points kinda skyrocket, ya know.
"Eh, what the heck," I told Senko. "I'll be here first thing in the morning!"
Mama fox nearly boomed with excitement.
"Wonderful!" she sang. "Tomorrow cannot come any sooner!"
And as I watched her mumble all the amazing details, I couldn't help but have my own lips curve kindly.
I see where Agatha gets her energy from.
The next day . . .
The blissful rays of the morning sun peeked through the little girl's blinds as her consciousness slowly flickered back to life.
The little demon girl opened her eyes, and with her grogginess considerate, she gently sat herself up.
"Morning already?" she whispered, rubbing her face.
"It would appear so, dearie."
At the edge of Agatha's bed sat her mother, her expression tender as she flipped through a photo album.
Mama Fox turned to her daughter.
"Good morning, my dear." A smile. "And happy birthday."
The realization shined through Agatha like the breaking of dawn.
"Right," she whispered. "Today's my birthday."
"Don't tell me you forgot."
"It just never feels real, mama."
"Is that so?"
Senko closed the photo album and rose to her feet, urging Agatha to do the same.
"C'mon, dearie," she told her daughter. "We have lots to do today." Her cheeks basked in cherry redness.
Ready for the day's adventure, the little demon girl took her mother's hand, and together, the two of them left the bedroom to head downstairs.
As soon as their heels pressed against the steps . . .
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AGATHA!"
Instantly, the calmness of the air popped as the cheers roared from the bottom of the staircase.
Agatha's eyes went as wide as quarters as her sights bounced around the crowd below her—her best friends from school, her favorite uncles, her amazing father, and best of all, her favorite mortal in the whole wide universe.
They all grinned her way, ready to spoil her rotten today.
Agatha's chest tightened, the beats steadying as her heart tasted a brighter shade of red.
This is going to be the best day ever.
I was today years old when I found out the demon dimension had their very own Six Flags. Er, sort of. The sign up top read, Six Hags (no clue why), but the atmosphere varied very little: a myriad of rides as far as the eye could see, from roller coasters that scraped the clouds to that one machine that made you feel like you were in zero gravity.
Note: Watch what you eat before going on that one.
The lot of us had just passed the admission booth and now stood before the platter of fun that begged to be devoured.
Agatha hugged her dad.
"Thank you so much, Daddy!" she sang. "I always wanted to come here!"
"Of course, my dear," Malak said, giving his genuine I'm-the-best-dad-in-the-world pose. "Anything for my little girl."
You say that, but I saw you tearing up when you had to pay for all of us. Don't lie.
"What should we do first?" Banda asked.
"I'm gonna go on the biggest ride they got!" Wolfette cheered.
Mr. Man adjusted his glasses. "A fine suggestion, daughter of mine. Let us test our limits! Surpass our boundaries! Reshape our—"
Grooooooooowl~
All eyes quickly swiveled to the little girl with the blank face, whose cheeks went rose red as she rubbed her stomach.
Uncle Slenderman lovingly stroked her head.
"I think Meredith has the right idea," Agatha said, patting her own belly.
"I figured this would happen," Senko pointed out. "But worry not, my dearies! I have made the best of feasts for us to enjoy!" She gave a nervous smile. "We can't really eat it so early in the morning, though. More of a 'brunch' meal."
Everyone simply stared at the empty light bulbs above their noggins, whereas mine blew enough lumens to blow away a lighthouse.
I gestured towards the endless stalls packed with goodies.
"Why don't we just buy some food over there?" I suggested. "Just a little bit so that we can still enjoy Senko's brunch."
Agatha beamed. "Oh, goody gumdrops, MC! You always have the best ideas!"
I mean, wasn't the answer kinda obvious? I'll take the praise, though.
The saliva dribbling down Wolfette's chin was unreal.
"I heard fair food is super-ultra-mega tasty!" she said. "I can't wait!"
"Sounds like a plan, then," Senko confirmed. "How about we split into groups and go explore what the park is selling? Just make sure you don't eat your fill. You'll have that chance soon enough!"
With everyone in agreeance, we separated into two groups (Agatha, her parents, and Banda vs Slendy (Uncle and Little), Mr. Man, and Wolfette), and went about waltzing around to figure out how we could kill the grown-ups' wallets.
At first, I pushed to sit out during the round of tasting, what with the spleen on a stick I would surely come across. But like always, Agatha managed to rope me in, her puppy-dog eyes landing the solid kill shot.
Plus, it was her birthday, and you have to bow down to the birthday girl; that's just common law.
We headed east-ish while the other group covered the west side.
Through our stroll, we came across what my imagination had already warned me of: the spinal cord lollipops; the chewies made out of tongues (Really?); frozen bars of blood (mortal aftertaste or your money back!). Whereas the majority salivated at the pickings, I fought back the bubbles swishing in my stomach.
Granted, we did manage to find some food that looked like it belonged in a mouth. But by this point, I had already learned my lesson: everything in this dimension was utter bullsh*t.
That's right, corn dog, you ain't gettin' me. Even though you look normal, I know you a freak.
In the end, we (or rather, they) decided on some blood jam crêpe. Scarlet oozed delicately from the pastry dough as nuggets of scarlet peeked through, begging to have teeth sunk into them.
My stomach yanked at my attention.
No, man, we already decided. That ain't a real crêpe. We're not eating that.
My stomach bopped the inside of my skin.
You better knock that sh*t off before I give you some bile butter.
My stomach went silent.
That's what I thought.
Nonetheless, I couldn't keep away for long, evident by Agatha's overwhelming urge to feed me.
She edged her treat towards me. "Here, MC. Say 'aaaaah.'"
"I don't think that's a good idea," I told her.
At the birthday girl's frown, her doting daddy became a mountain of fury.
"You dare insult my baby girl like that!?" he barked.
"Isn't that human blood?" I asked.
"So what if it is!?"
My face = straighter than a ruler.
Really?
Thankfully, Mama Fox had an iota of common sense.
"Now, now, settle down," she said. "I don't blame MC for not wanting a bite. That'd be like us drinking Venom's blood, and don't you think that'd be odd, Ma-kun?"
Malak folded his arms. "I guess so."
No, you don't.
Senko then turned to her daughter. "How about you lend me a bite, dearie? Then I'll give you some of mine."
Agatha perked up.
"Okay," she said softly.
She fed her mother, and, as promised, Mama Fox returned the favor, keeping intact those nice, warm vibes.
"Oya, oya," a voice called out from the side. "What do we have here?"
We all turned our heads, spotting the teenage girl with emerald eyes and a white bow stationed behind her own booth. Dressed in a cute maid's outfit, she cooked up the finest batch of cookies alongside another girl with a shortened frame and lovely pink hair.
"Monika?" I asked. "Is that you?"
Agatha's brow narrowed as soon as the "M" left my lips.
"Hello, MC," my fellow human said. "What brings you guys here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. What are you wearing?"
"Uniform. Gotta attract as many as we can."
"Don't stop for even a second, Monika!" the pink-haired girl cried. "We can't let any cookies go to waste!"
"Sure thing, sure thing."
Still, Monika kept with her lax pace.
She looked to the star demon girl. "Hello, Agatha."
"Hi . . ." Agatha replied, reluctant.
Why does she seem mad? I wondered.
Senko, on the other hand, clapped her hands together as excitement gleamed in her irises.
"Ara ara~," she sang. "Is this a friend of yours, Agatha?"
"No."
No hesitation.
Monika laughed it off.
"Let's just say, we're more like rivals," she said. "We went head to head at the beauty pageant a while back."
Senko stroked her daughter's hair. "Ah, I'm so sorry I couldn't go to that. Must've been a blast, huh, dearie?"
"But of course!" Malak bellowed proudly. "Our little girl was the star of the night! To think that they didn't give her first place . . . Oh, no disrespect to you, Miss Monika. You were brilliant."
"None taken." Back to Mama Fox. "I take it you're Agatha's sister, ma'am?"
Senko blushed. "My, how polite. I can see you were brought up very well."
The entire time, Agatha had this face that just screamed, You're not fooling me.
Did I miss something?
"I'm actually Agatha's mother," Senko explained. "I'm visiting to celebrate her birthday."
"Her birthday?" Monika repeated. "Wow! That's wonderful! In that case, I hope you all have a splendid visit! In fact . . ."
My fellow mortal reached underneath the counter to pull into view a steaming pouch of cookies.
"I just made these a few minutes ago," she explained. "You're welcome to have them! Free of charge!"
The pink-haired girl started to say something, but Monika silenced her with a smile that spoke a thousand words.
"Free. Of. Charge."
The pink-haired girl gave a nod, then scrambled back to her own work.
"Why, thank you so much!" Senko said.
She accepted the gift, handing it to Agatha.
"Thank you . . ." Agatha muttered, not impressed (although her belly thought otherwise).
"Here." Monika reached for another pouch to hand to our favorite mummy girl. "Why don't ya have some too?"
"Th-Thank you," Banda uttered, nervous.
"Just make sure you don't fill up," Senko warned. "My lunch is just waiting to be devoured! Would you like some as well, Miss Monika?"
"Thanks, but I'm okay. Already have lunch ready to go. Maybe next time, though."
Agatha's face = I don't think so.
Seriously, what did I miss?
With our snack quest conquered, we bid farewell to Monika and the cookie addict (meaning Senko lent them some headpats) and met back up with Uncle Slenderman and the others.
Wolfette showed off her tiny array of colorful tarts.
Senko had just the teeniest, weeniest knot of annoyance.
"Wolf," she said to Mr. Man. "Didn't I say to keep the food light?"
"Y-You did," the wolfman answered. "But Wolfette just wanted to try everything, and I couldn't just say 'No'!"
Both Malak and Uncle Slendy nodded, understanding.
This really never gets old.
Mama Fox sighed.
"Wolfette, honey," she said to the wolf girl. "Is it okay if we save those snacks for later?"
The wolf girl frowned.
"I can't eat them?"
"Well, if you eat them now, you'll get a tummy ache when you go on the rides. Besides, I've cooked up something that's a hundred— no, a thousand times better than this food here. You just have to wait a while. Is that okay?"
The tiny wolf considered her options until, ultimately, she gave in to common sense—a trait the doting daddies seemed to be missing from time to time (especially with that red one).
"Okay . . ." Wolfette said. "I'll wait."
Mama Fox lovingly rubbed the monster girl's head.
"Good girl," she said softly. "You won't regret it."
Well, color me impressed.
Damn.
She really is a mom at heart.
Then came the rides.
I won't go into too much detail about 'em; after all, I'm assuming you already know all about the rollercoasters and Vominator 3000s. What I will say, however, is HOLY F*CKING SH*T! ARE YOU SERIOUS!? IS THIS WHAT WE'RE ON!? JESUS! JESUS, TAKE THE WHEEL! JES— WAIT, HOW BIG IS THAT DROP! YO, HOW BIG IS THAT DROP!? WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! AGATHA! AGATHA, HOLD ME! HOLD ME! DON'T LET GO! DON'T YOU DARE! AGATHAAAAAAA!
(Yeah. That's, um, that's kinda how it went.)
By the end of that chaotic beatdown, I had predicted on four separate occasions that I, indeed, needed a new pair of underwear. (On one of those instances, I may or may not have snuck to the bathroom to double check. (We're golden.))
I dragged my feet with the group, my arms dangling as the nothing I ate for breakfast threatened to spew like a sprinkler.
Whereas everyone else rode that amusement park high, I had Mr. Dread popping his toes right in my tuckus.
"I didn't sign up for this . . ." I groaned.
Agatha grinned. "You're telling me! I thought the rides were gonna be half baked! Boy, was I wrong! I wanna go in that gravity one a few more times!"
The other girls nodded in agreement, just as ecstatic.
The gravity one? Oh, you mean the one that flung me into the wall three times? I swear, I felt actual cracks break into my shoulder.
"What a rush," Senko said, her hair messy. "I haven't had that much adrenaline for at least a hundred years!"
Malak smirked. "I mean, our honeymoon was pretty special."
Okay.
I didn't need to hear that.
In fact, I didn't want to hear that.
Let's just keep that information to ourselves, yeah?
Needless to say, after being flung around like a ragdoll in that action-packed high, all of us were in dire need of a melt-in-your-seat kind of low. Luckily, Mama Fox had just the plan, and after guiding us to a clearing surrounded by cherry blossom trees, she laid out a massive picnic table she had stowed away in her sleeves. (Again, how did she do that?) Next came the packages of food—around thirty to forty bento boxes containing meals ranging from tentacles dipped in violet ink to onigiri that I prayed had normal ingredients.
Agatha's eyes dazzled at the sight.
"Wow, Mama!" she gasped. "This looks amazing!"
"Why, thank you very much, dearie," Senko replied. She playfully pinched her daughter's cheek. "I had to go all out for my little girl's special day."
"This is even more than last year," Malak noted.
"Lord Anos has been letting me take cooking lessons. I've been trying to learn as much as I can."
Confusion tapped against Agatha's forehead.
"Lord Anos?" she repeated.
Mama Fox slipped into a panic.
"I-I mean, Nakano-dono!" she quickly said. "'Anos' is just his nickname!"
The birthday girl seemed to buy it, but I had an eyebrow raised.
Somethin' smells fishy, and it ain't these rice balls.
Sadly.
Senko gestured towards the feast. "Now, then, why don't we all dig in!"
And dig in they did, cleaning through the bentos like their lives depended on it. I couldn't blame them. Even with the food looking like something straight out of Reanimator, the aroma wafting about had even my stomach begging for a bite.
But I wouldn't be fooled.
Just wait till you get back to the dorm, I told myself. You're gonna have the best ramen of your life.
The birthday girl noticed the food in my hand and the lack thereof.
"You're not gonna eat, MC?" she asked.
"Probably not," I answered. "Still not really used to the food here yet. Sorry."
"How dare you!?" Malak howled. "You dare ignore this feast my honeypop laid out for us! The disrespect!"
Right. Shame on me for not thinking that pickled jawbone looks bomb as hell. Shame on me.
"Now, now," Senko said, "no need to fuss, Ma-kun. Truth be told, I was expecting this." Among the bento boxes, she fished one up that had been a little concealed. "I made this one just for you, MC. Should have things that you humans love."
She handed it to me, careful as to not let my fingers brush against hers.
My suspicion locked, I lifted up the lid, and to my amazement, my nostrils flared in joy as the scent of a juicy steak swirled into my system. Beneath the chopped meat, a bed of fluffy rice lay, mixed with veggies of all shapes and shades.
A tear nearly dribbled down my cheek.
"This is . . . real food?" I asked.
Mama Fox smiled. "You bet your buttons!"
The others looked on with awe, their curiosity just as powerful as their appetites.
"Ah!" Agatha said. "I know what that is! I think we had something like that when we went to the mortal world! Didn't we, Banda?"
The mummy girl blushed, nervous to make any sudden movements.
"You went to the mortal world, dearie?" Senko asked.
"Mm!" Agatha hummed. "We tried to find MC!"
"Who went with you?"
"Banda, Wolfette, and Meredith."
"Heh~." It took only a millisecond for Mama Fox to simmer with rage, her glare fixed hard on her hubby. "You let Agatha go to the mortal world alone?"
My boss—the one who constantly threatened to eat my soul like a mafia don—quickly quivered in his boots as sweat dribbled down his forehead.
"W-Well, you see, my love . . ."
Senko's fury didn't lessen.
"W-What happened was . . ."
Oh, he dead.
Malak pointed at me. "Blame them for being sick! Making our poor Agatha worry."
You're gonna get mad at me for being sick!? Something that I have zero control over!? What kind of bullsh*t is that?
Mama Fox seemed to agree.
"You are her father!" she growled at Malak. "You need to be more responsible! Do you understand me?"
"But—"
"No buts! Do. You. Understand me?"
Malak choked on his words before managing to let two slip through.
"Yes, ma'am."
I couldn't begin to describe the satisfaction popping in my chest like fireworks.
Finally . . .
FINALLY.
JUSTICE. IS. SERVED.
NOW YOU GET TO FEEL JUST HOW DAMN STUPID YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING.
Calming down a tad, Mama Fox stroked her daughter's hair.
"I'm glad you made it back safe," she told Agatha. "Did you have fun at least?"
"Oh, we had a blast!" Agatha assured. She went on to describe her time in my world, painting even the dullest of moments as beautiful collages of vibrant colors. Heck, she even managed to sidetrack, telling her mother all about the adventures she had gone on with me. At times, she would just ramble on, like how she chased me through the entire house in that not-really game of hide and seek.
However, Senko didn't mind much. In fact, she begged for every detail, every nook and cranny of Agatha's life, certain that missing even a single syllable would be the gravest of sins.
She really did love her daughter, perhaps more than God could love His own children.
So, when I noticed that she never tried to eat her own food, my heart trembled.
The pieces connected, but not nearly in the way I wanted.
We spent the rest of the day taking in all that Six Hags had to offer (which, in turn, made me realize that this place actually had very little in common with Six Flags). We paid a visit to the aquarium section (four-eyed sharks), then to the zoo section (four-eyed minotaurs), then to an actual art gallery (four-eyed sculptures).
See a theme?
Also, dunno why that last one would be at an amusement park, but to each his own, I suppose.
Even so, I had to admit that I had a blast.
Except for when that horned sheep rammed the glass. Almost had me leaving the park real quick.
By now, the sun had set just low enough to kiss the horizon, casting a soft peach glow. Most of the amusement park patrons had cleared out, with our party being no exception.
"That really was quite the trip," Mr. Man said. "It went better than I could've ever expected."
"You're telling me," Senko agreed. "I just wish we could've given Agatha her birthday cake."
By this point, three of the girls had fallen asleep, each now piggyback riding their fathers. Only Banda stood tall, mostly because she couldn't bear the thought of falling asleep shamelessly next to adults.
"I think it was better this way," Malak said. "If they ate the cake, they wouldn't have been able to enjoy your lunch."
"And that would've been a travesty," Mr. Man noted. "You truly make wonderful meals, Miss Senko."
Uncle Slenderman nodded.
Senko blushed. "Oh, you boys~."
Then came the realization.
"That reminds me: I still need to bring some souvenirs to Lord Anos. He seemed really interested in the pastries when I told him about them."
"Then, let us go," Malak said.
Senko waved her hand.
"You boys worry about getting the girls home," she said. "I'll be right behind you."
"Are you sure?"
"Mm. Don't worry, I'll have MC with me, so we should be okay."
How did I get roped into this?
"You better keep her safe," Malak warned me.
Of course. When other demons come flocking to us, I'll be sure to stand my ground. Maybe be eaten so Miss Senko has time to split.
The rest of the group headed back to the house, whereas Senko and I turned around to peek at the food shops that still offered to sell.
"Sorry to drag you around like this, MC," she said. "I didn't know if I'd be needing a hand or not."
"How much do you plan on buying?" I asked.
"Depends. How much can we carry?"
I don't like the sound of that.
Thankfully, the two of us didn't end up with a gigantic haul; just a few packets of strudels and shortcakes. (Plus, a bag of cookies for me that Monika promised I wouldn't wretch at.)
Lord, I hope your taste buds aren't broken.
Once we finished our mini shopping trip, Senko and I took our seats on a nearby bench, relieving my feet of the aches I didn't even realize they had.
"Phew," she sighed. "What an adventure."
"No kidding."
I never knew the human bowel could handle all that terror.
Thank God.
"Did you have fun, MC?" Senko asked.
"I like to think I did," I answered. "Truth be told, though, it didn't really feel like Agatha's birthday. I mean, birthdays are supposed to be special, right? Especially when you're a kid her age. But today felt just like any other day."
"Maybe you're just used to treating her like she's special."
"Maybe you're right."
The warmth of the sun wrapped around us like a cozy blanket.
"I have to admit," Senko said, "I felt the same way. Normally when I come to visit, Agatha wouldn't know how to sit still. She'd be gunning for hugs whenever she got the chance, and she'd be trying to spend every second possible glued to my hip. But today, while she still felt glad to see me, I couldn't help but think that I wasn't as big a star as I used to be."
"Does that make you sad?" I asked.
Mama Fox shook her head. "Not really. In fact, I'm happy that I'm not the only way for my little girl to be happy. She's reaching out to others, making connections. She's learning how to live. As a mother, I couldn't be more proud." A grin. "Maybe I'll hafta stop visiting from the mortal world! Just kidding."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Miss Senko . . ."
"Hm?"
The puzzle presented itself.
"You're not . . . You're not actually alive, are you?"
The fox woman chuckled nervously.
"W-What are you talking about, MC? You hit your head on the rides or somethin'? Of course I'm—"
"Then why didn't you ever touch me? Everyone we've come across, you'd either give them a hug or a headpat. But with me, you avoided. Even when you were handing me that bento, you tried really hard not to touch my fingers. Because to everyone else, you're Senko, the fox lady, but to me, a human, you'd be Senko, the ghost."
She gave no answer, opting instead to simper at her lap.
"That easy to tell, huh?" she asked.
"Well, you also didn't eat your food, and you'd have to be crazy not to eat your own cooking. It's freakin' amazing."
"Why, thank you very much."
Mama Fox took a deep breath.
"It's true," she admitted. "Agatha was the third child I gave birth to, and I passed away shortly after. Malak wouldn't stop crying for days. He even challenged Lord Anos to a duel to try and revive me."
"I'm guessing Lord Anos is like the Devil?" I asked.
"Sort of. He rules over the afterlife for us demons, but he is very kind. Heck, he even lets me come visit once a year; in exchange for my cooking, of course."
That explains the birthday visits.
"Why lie to your daughter? Why not let her know?"
"Because Agatha deserves the best," Senko answered simply. "She deserves a full family. And as of lately, she'd been getting just that."
Towards me, she curved her lips sweetly.
"I think the main reason Agatha wasn't so attached to me this time around was because of you, MC. You've been giving her the support she needs while both Malak and I have been away. She doesn't seem as lonely anymore.
"So, thank you, MC, for loving my daughter. Thank you for making her feel like she matters."
"Don't mention it," I told her. "Just doing my best as her favorite babysitter!"
"I'm rootin' for ya!"
We both grinned.
Back in that cherished girl's bedroom, the photo album kept closed; yet, those framed memories begged to bask in the light—those captured instances which proved that the little demon girl had conquered her solitude, all thanks to a certain ordinary mortal.