Chapter 21: The Master of Irrevocable (Part 10)
"So where are your companions, currently?"
"Shouldn't you know, if you said they're with Akito?"
The Kitsune's ears twitched for a moment, clearly having forgotten her earlier statement but valiantly covering for the slipup with a retort of, "I do not keep tabs on my sibling ALL of the time, there exists privacy between us. Considering how close you and your companions have made your relationship seem I would have assumed you knew what they were doing."
"Allow me to reiterate your previous statement about privacy and such, it's much the same for us."
"Oh."
Taking pity on the tiny fox - despite her earlier bravado it was obvious she was unsure of what to say or do in his presence - Harris posed, "Why don't you take a page from your brother's book and show me around the interior of the palace? What with all the meetings and clandestine secrets Amaterasu has been forcing me to take part in I've had precious little opportunity to sightsee."
Seizing on the opportunity with clear relish the Kitsune responded, "A fair suggestion, it's hardly kind or gracious for a host to keep their guest ignorant of the beauty and grace of their home."
"The same doesn't go for modesty or humbleness, now does it?"
"Hmph!"
Smirking at the half-genuine half-joking bit of pouting from the young lady Harris allowed himself to be guided along as they strode through the twisting hallways of the palace, guards keeping at a barely visible distance per their princess's instructions as the shapeshifter was content to let the silence build, watching from the corner of his eye as Yasaka slowly went from composed to nervous, ears and tails slowly curling with apprehension and hands lightly tensing from where they were almost entirely ensconced by voluminous sleeves.
"Guess she's not sure how to go about starting a conversation with me that isn't related to sightseeing or something similar. Oh well, I suppose I've let her squirm for long enough, time to break the ice."
"I take it you want to know about my thoughts regarding what Robin, Merlin and Charles discovered in your mother's body?"
The reaction was both visceral and immediate, Yasaka perking up and standing at rapt attention before quickly matching his unbroken stride once more.
"You have reached a conclusion?! Or even a definitive answer as to what happened to mother?"
"Easy does it, princess. I've only got a bunch of highly accurate hunches to go off of and nothing concrete, don't go assuming I've solved the mystery yet."
Much like her initial reaction the following one was swift and blatant, the Yokai's features drooping with disappointment as Harris chuckled, reaching out and affectionately petting her between the ears as a mortified yelp left the Kitsune before she could regain her imperial majesty.
He took a special kind of pleasure in the way the distant guards audibly tensed, armor grinding against armor as hands clenched around weapons or backs hunched.
"Discipline indeed."
Grinning at the way Yasaka swiftly pushed aside his hand the princess shyly protested, "S-such actions are most unbecoming for a stranger wishing to properly interact with a member of the royal family!"
"Are you perhaps going to tell me a bit of friendly physical contact is outside the realm of propriety? My, no wonder you're so cautious and light-footed around 'improper' individuals such as myself."
Slitted eyes narrowed in petulant displeasure.
"Young I may be but perhaps a little respect - no matter how much you may have eschewed the idea - would not be outside your capabilities, yes?"
Grinning at the reply Harris joked, "You're far more endearing when you fight and belittle my behavior, princess. And if you want my respect this is certainly the chance to earn it."
Caution once more crossing Yasaka's features as Harris loomed overhead, bending at the waist slightly so as to emphasize their height differences she nonetheless held her ground, unsure of what he may demand but prepared to meet it nonetheless-
"How did you feel becoming princess in Akito's stead, when you believed him dead? Was it exciting, frustrating, terrifying or any combination of emotions?"
-and felt herself blink in confusion at the relatively tame request, especially when compared to some of the topics or other bits of information he could have potentially demanded.
"Strange, I would have recounted more tangible and meaningful rewards than a simple recounting of events that have lost much of their worth now that my brother has returned."
Setting aside those internal musings for the moment Yasaka instead thought of where to start in regards to the man's question, eventually responding with, "At first it was...well in the spirit of honesty terrifying and overwhelming."
She resisted the urge to grimace, remembering those years with no small amount of trepidation and distaste, of how ill-suited she had initially been to the role of Empress during tumultuous times before slowly finding her feet.
"I was fortunate that Lady Amaterasu sacrificed her idle hours alongside her regular responsibilities to aid me, grooming and guiding even as I grieved for my brother while the Yokai clan leaders were - at least for the most part - willing to be patient with my first, fumbling steps."
She paused, further remembering the dearth of responsibility she had been racing to understand and learn.
"The other gods and goddesses also bought time for me to come into my own, overseeing the domain and its functions as Lady Amaterasu ensured that my mind and body were busy, never able to dwell too long on the loss of my mother or sibling."
Yasaka shrugged, the gesture not quite managing to do away with the fact that there had been a lot of weight put on comparatively tiny shoulders.
"I quickly realized that my grief would aid no one, least of all myself. If I could not lead, then who would? The Kyuubi line has long been the rulers of Japan, the middle ground between Divine and the rest as we carry out the edicts and requests of both to our best ability."
Her eyes briefly flicked towards Harris, awaiting his response as he seemed more contemplative than anything else, eventually smiling before stating, "You have an impressive sense of responsibility."
The smile turned genuinely friendly before he confidently added, "Now this is just the opinion of a strange, wandering barbarian visiting your fair land but I believe you would have made an excellent empress."
"I was told that many times by a great many people attempting to placate or console me. Not all of them were honest."
Harris' grin turned positively roguish, cadence teasing as he replied, "Not long ago you were complaining that I was giving you no respect and could stand to show a little humility before those of high station. Do I seem the type to falsely flatter you, princess?"
"Hmm…"
While the noise was noncommittal in nature the tiny fox girl couldn't quite contain the way her ears and tails began to gently twitch or sway in clear happiness at his words, Harris smirking at the adorable sight. He hadn't even had to lie, since what he remembered of the source material had painted Yasaka as an accomplished and well-liked ruler whose 'mistakes' were more a fault of the plot than any described characteristic.
"Well enough about myself, of the two of us I imagine you have lead the far more interesting life!"
"Interesting is in the eye of the beholder, princess."
Her eye roll was both very unroyal and very endearing, the Kitsune wryly commenting, "My existence to this date has been one of relative 'peace' and security with precious little opportunity to spread my wings and see more of the world. Meanwhile it sounds as if you have been embroiled in one variety of chaos or another from the very onset."
Fox ears twitched in mild vexation as she inquired, "I cannot even begin to fathom the circumstances and events that gave rise to one such as yourself, who has Lady Amaterasu treading on glass despite your comparative lack of strength. Or one that rescued my brother, defied a Satan to his face and then carried out a twisted plot of brilliance that brought low the Christian King."
To her surprise a merry chuckle left the man, tone inundated with naught but warm humor as he replied, "Would you believe me if I said it was an origin of shockingly dull beginnings with a complete absence of anything remotely exciting or meaningful?"
Yasaka met his gaze with a deadpan one.
"No."
Smirking at the blunt words Harris continued with, "Then I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you with the truth and hope that you'll believe me regardless, because that is the simple reality of my upbringing."
The princess looked incredibly and hopelessly perplexed, Harris elaborating with, "My parents were decent and kind people, I was never mistreated or spoiled, given too much free reign or told I could never do anything...with the benefit of hindsight I'd dare say that's what contributed the most to my later career in life."
He glanced at Yasaka as they finally exited the twisting hallways of the palace into more open and brightly lit areas, the Yokai not even bothering to hide her clear and obvious interest in his tale as her ears subtly shifted in his direction.
"That perfect middle ground of discipline and freedom nonetheless created the perfect blend of dull, efficient boredom. You see, my parents would have raised a perfectly functional and successful kid if I wasn't born just a little bit...different."
The shapeshifter idly tapped his chin, pondering his next words before continuing with, "I believe that all life begins with quite the varied and numerous rolls of cosmic dice. Sure, certain factors alter those rolls - genetics play a big one - but at the end of the day a person's origins are completely random, their soul wholly unique and individualized. That means their wants and desires are all different flavors of custom and mine just so happened to be a truly eclectic mix of characteristics and motivations. For example, I wanted to be one of the greatest historians the world had ever seen for much of my youth."
"Huh?"
The blunt and bewildered noise that left Yasaka's throat caused Harris to laugh, the male joking, "Of course, that ambition fell by the wayside when I realized there was little reason to study when history seemed quite intent on repeating itself no matter what lessons were learned. Also there was no future in it."
The Kitsune continued to blankly stare as a mildly annoyed huff left the man.
"You're allowed to laugh at my jokes, princess."
"If they're amusing I shall do so."
"Ouch. Guess you truly are a Kitsune, that was a burn befitting foxfire."
He was treated to another deadpan gaze.
"Right, moving on. As kind as my parents were the family was never what I would describe as rich, usually living month to month. With few work opportunities that would sufficiently pay for higher education and a means of becoming a historian I joined the military, hoping that a term of service would allow me to pursue my interests."
Yasaka was clearly withholding her questions for the time being, even though much of his terminology or alluded social conventions were no doubt going over her head.
"While I was in the military I had the misfortune - or fortune, depends on who you ask - to end up in a unit that was actually assigned to an active combat zone. While there I discovered that I had a rather unusual skill."
He favored the Kitsune with a smug, self-satisfied smirk.
"I was very, very talented in the art of hunting, tricking and ultimately killing people."
Not affording the Yokai a moment to process that statement he continued with, "More to the point, I actually rather enjoyed it. Not so much war - dragging innocent lives into a conflict they likely had no hand in starting hasn't and never will sit right with me - but those with the ability to fight? Those that continued or reveled in the violence much like myself? That was my calling card. Who would have guessed that the nerdy history guy would have been a rather accomplished killer of man, am I right?"
The young woman slowly nodded her head, carefully asking, "So you were an excellent soldier in this faraway land of yours?"
"Hah! I was a terrible soldier."
At the Kitsune's confused blink he elaborated with, "Where I come from being a soldier is about discipline, comradery and respect for the chain of command. I was passable at the second and terrible with the first and third. The military I was a part of was a large, sprawling organization with thousands upon thousands of members that all had varying specialities and duties. Having a common, core set of rules and guidelines was necessary for it to function and I failed quite impressively at those tenets."
He chuckled, fondly musing, "On a micro level rather than a macro, I was often at odds with those I fought with. My code and distaste for involving those I believed innocent was in harsh opposition to the reality of war, often putting those I fought with at risk. I may not have minded the threat to my life and wellbeing but that sentiment was obviously not shared by those who got dragged along with my proclivities."
He settled for a shrug, amicably stating, "I don't particularly blame them for getting rid of me on surprisingly generous terms, considering how much of a migraine I was. Perhaps they valued my skills just enough to let bygones be bygones. Regardless!"
Yasaka watched with a wary eye as he further informed, "My performance had been noted by some notable figures in the military and they recommended me for some, shall we say, off the books organizations where my independent streak and proclivities weren't necessarily an issue. The rest, as they say, is history."
A dry snort left the Kitsune at his remark, commenting, "You seem to have left out some rather important details, as well as skim over a great deal of context or specific tales."
"If you want the entire story we would be here for a long time to come. Suffice to say I was gifted with a variety of useful and potent skills that I was randomly born with and then granted the unique opportunity and mindset to make use of them."
He idly raised an arm, staring at his hand as if it was an old friend.
"A historian who wanted to avert history from constantly cycling over and over, who took those lessons from the past and applied them through the lens of a trained, naturally gifted killer. I suppose you could call it only a matter of time before the world saw something like me, one of the most dangerous and notorious individuals to haunt the dreams of those with power and influence, who refused to use those resources for the simple common cause of the betterment of people the world over."
A silence fell over the duo, Yasaka staring at Harris with an inscrutable expression for a fair few minutes before simply stating, "You are a strange individual. And I honestly have no idea if any of what you've said is true or not, it sounds as if you come from a different time altogether."
"Who's to say I didn't?"
A quiet groan left the Yokai, Harris chuckling as she grumbled, "You are certainly a bewildering man, that much is for certain."
"Funny, Amaterasu said something similar."
He affectionately ran a hand through her hair and between her ears, the young woman stiffening at the action before relaxing a moment later.
"If half of what he says is true then indulging a simple bit of physical intimacy - that doesn't even feel all that unpleasant, in all honesty - is a small price to pay for his continued patronage."
Despite her youth and relative inexperience in the field of politics and ruling Yasaka was no fool. She understood full well that Amaterasu wouldn't have suffered the male's disrespect and irreverence if there wasn't substance beneath it, a reason he felt so at ease in dealing with both them and China as if it was a casual social outing. And it fell to her, as princess, to entertain the barbarians at the gates and ensure her goddess and brother could carry out their respective duties without the added burden of dealing with abrasive or crude individuals.
'Abrasive' and 'crude' seemed too strong a descriptor to fit with Harris and his companions but they were certainly dangerous and willful enough to pose a threat...a threat that the Kitsune slowly found herself feeling more and more intrigued with.
While she was nothing but grateful that her brother had returned to assume the mantle of leadership safe and sound the rush of shifting positions and circumstances had left her fretting as to what role she should fulfill. Amaterasu was a far better tutor and instructor than Yasaka could hope to be, not to mention she was currently handling most of the diplomatic processes until Akito had enough experience under his belt. And there were advisors aplenty to aid her brother so that role was additionally out.
But this?
A sly, calculating and admittedly mischievous thought manifested within the Kitsune's mind. Her people were natural seducers, pranksters and tricksters, why not start here? Akito seemed quite certain that Harris and the rest were of a friendly and positive disposition to them, why not merely cement that fact?
"I see why brother enjoys teasing the Vampire so much...this sensation is actually quite electrifying."
A glance towards Harris - who had stopped petting her and instead glanced around the palace gardens with keen interest - sent another thrill of instinctive eagerness through her body, the Kitsune briefly licking her lips in anticipation.
It would be a difficult act, her prey was obviously wiley and dangerous if Lady Amaterasu's actions were any measure to judge by and as polite and personable Robin and Merlin had been thus far there was no telling if they would be protective of the man the closer she drew.
"But that makes it all the more rewarding, in the end. If I succeed…"
The Yokai smirked, finally feeling as if she had discovered a purpose and goal to pursue that would benefit Japan and be worthy of a princess of the Yokai.
A smirk that wasn't missed by Harris, the man idly musing, "Well well, I wonder what manner of nefarious plots the little fox is up to. Her brother had that same look when he was teasing Charles."
"You seem quite taken with the gardens, would you like to be granted a view few have ever seen?"
"Ahh, so THAT'S the angle."
Smiling at the evidently ambitious girl's game he amicably nodded, replying, "If you're offering then I would be remiss not to accept. I am here on vacation, after all."
A quiet snort of disbelief left the Kitsune, Harris following in her wake as she guided him to a truly wondrous sight that had him setting aside smarmy bullshit to fully appreciate what he was looking at.
A winding, stone pathway that meandered without seeming direction across a placid, calmly gurgling lake that had dozens of cherry blossom trees showering the entire ensemble with a steady stream of graceful, fragile petals. The whole deal was made all the more impressive by the drifting motes of enchanted fire that provided a romantic, calming ambiance to everything as shadow and illumination danced about in playful arcs.
It was obviously a popular place for couples, if the various species of Yokai playfully walking about arm in arm were any indication, their forms cast into fever dream outlines by the random lighting.
"This...is honestly beautiful."
Yasaka motioned for him to keep following, the Kitsune heading towards what looked like a solid tree trunk before phasing right through it as if it didn't exist, Harris matching her action with an amused smile.
"Platform 9 and ¾, very classic."
"Yet another reference I have no basis to understand. Regardless, this is a special place that the Royal Family has kept to ourselves for generations, a place where we can observe our people simply live their lives in a calm, peaceful setting."
Following the pint-sized Kitsune up a narrow, winding staircase - the guards presumably being left behind - Harris wisely commented, "Ah. Voyeurism. I approve, princess."
"Must everything you say be some manner of jest or barbed comment?"
"Now that's simply untrue. Most of what I say is some manner of jest or barbed statement."
Quietly sighing to herself the Kitsune arrived at the top of the steps, showing him to a small balcony that overlooked the entire area, stocked with a decent amount of lounge chairs or other arrangements adorned with soft blankets or pillows.
"There is some admitted truth in your words, just not in the manner you suggested. I have seen this sight many times and I will freely admit some of its allure has been lost, most of its novelty now arising from the people who walk beneath and through its drifting petals."
Taking a seat next to the royalty Harris remarked, "I can see why you would feel that way. But I think it'll take me quite some time to ever grow tired of this place, people or not. Although..."
He let his gaze drift to the sitting princess, taking in her lovely features with a complete lack of subtlety as she quickly noticed his attention and gained a tint of shy pink to her pale skin.
"There is quite a fair amount of pleasure to be found in observing others."
His test bore fruit, Yasaka perking at the comment and doing away with her shy demeanor before flirtatiously replying, "My, I can see why you attracted the attention of figures such as Merlin and Robin with such a silver tongue."
"Hah! Well I'll be, little fox...you really are the ambitious sort, trying to bind me to you."
Finding the young woman's attempts to seduce him - because what else could her sudden interest be - endearing as well as admirable he decided to have some fun with the little game she had decided to initiate, smoothly lifting her into a princess carry before dropping her on his lap, a brief squeak of mortification escaping the Yokai before she yet again schooled her expression into one of composed playfulness, tails waving with manufactured mirth.
"How bold of you, to touch and handle royalty with such familiarity."
He gently trailed a hand across her scalp and silken hair, brushing against the side of fuzzy ears with comforting familiarity before stating, "I can't imagine the princess has many opportunities to be pampered. Why not let the barbarian banging on the gates with no sense of decorum show what little manners he possesses?"
Her gaze snapped to meet his, both staring deep into the other's orbs as mutual understanding passed between them, that the game had been discovered and outed within the first minutes of its inception...and Yasaka was clearly no quitter, the briefest flashes of both annoyance and predatory defiance flashing through her golden eyes before she insistently scooted deeper into his waist, pushing her head against his hand before imperiously stating, "Very well, then put that far-reaching barbaric heritage of yours to use and tell me stories of distant lands."
Chuckling at this latest development Harris cheerfully responded, "As the princess commands. Now what do you know of worlds beyond the sky?"
Wonder quickly replaced foxy wiles.
"You've been to other stars?!"
Chuckling at her swift turnaround Harris gladly started recounting information he knew of their local solar system, genuinely enjoying the Kitsune's ravenous thirst for tales of places beyond Japan.