What strange magics are at play here...? Not the usual tricks of the giraffe's stage, for a change!
Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.
Chapter 2. The Fox Spirit
"T-Tendo-san, wh-what's going on?!"
"I haven't the faintest idea, Aijou-san…"
The eight of them stare at Maya with jaws agape, watching the tall pointed ears flatten in distress as Maya becomes more and more anxious. The tails begin to sway and bristle. It's difficult for her to move with them, because while she had practiced getting used to moving around with fake tails on her back, these are very much alive.
When she takes a step back, her tails bump against the changing stall and throw Maya off-balance. Claudine and Nana dive forward to catch her by the arms. Maya grips their wrists tightly in return.
"Thank you-" But then she glances down and notices her fingernails have scraped both of her classmates' wrists with faint red lines. With a gasp, Maya quickly releases them, curling her clawed hands to her chest. "I-I'm sorry-"
"It's okay!" Nana waves her hand dismissively and smiles. "I didn't feel a thing!"
"Me either," Claudine assures her. "But… just what in the world is going on here…?"
Another moment of silence falls as everyone looks Maya over. The faux ears and tails had matched much more appropriately with the traditional robes and outfit of her character's costume from the play. But now to see them attached to her while she's in her regular uniform is a bit comical, confusing, and cute all at once.
"I-In any case!" Mahiru gasps. "W-We can't let anyone else see you like this until we figure out what's going on!"
"What should we do?" Hikari asks.
"Well, for starters-" Junna clears her throat, pushing her glasses up onto her nose and trying to remain as professional as possible. "We should bring Tendo-san somewhere where people won't see her so easily."
"The rehearsal studio?" Futaba offers. "Shouldn't be anyone there now this time of evening after a show just finished."
"Good idea. Let's go with that for now."
Already, there are other girls from their class and from the stage crew who are bustling about to clean up, so Claudine and the others step in front of Maya to block her from view as best they can.
Nana leads the way out of the auditorium from backstage, then checks the hallways, waiting until they're clear before ushering Maya forward. The girls walk around her and hurry to the empty studio before slipping inside and closing the door behind them.
Now, with no one else around, and Futaba and Kaoruko guarding the door, they can all talk a bit more freely about this strange occurrence.
"So we're all sure this isn't a dream now, yes?" Kaoruko says. "Tendo-han truly does have the ears and tails of a fox somehow?"
"Sure looks like it..." Futaba says. "Is this some kind of ReLive, or what?"
"Does it hurt?" Karen asks her. "Wh-When did you first notice they were real and not just the props?"
Maya contemplates, trying to remain calm, but there's a constant look of nervousness about her expression, and she keeps fidgeting in an effort to get used to the odd balance of the tails.
"It… doesn't hurt…" Her ears flatten again. "But I can hear everything much more clearly now. Like I never could before. As for when it happened… I believe it was at the very conclusion of the play. When I removed the ears and tails from the costume… these genuine versions were already a part of me somehow…"
Another moment of silence fills the room as the girls try to fathom it all.
"How could this happen?" Claudine says. "And why? With such convenient timing when you were just playing the role of Tamamo-no-Mae…?"
"Maybe that's part of it," Nana guesses. "Maybe it's because Maya-chan was playing that role, that somehow…"
"We've all seen and been a part of the ReLives and the revues," Hikari says. "Strange things happen all the time."
"B-But never like this before!" Mahiru whimpers. "Nothing has ever affected one of us in real life before! Especially not enough to physically change us!"
"Maybe Elle-san could tell us?" Karen suggests. "Do you think she'd know anything about it?"
"I'm not sure…"
"Like Mahiru said, this is a first, after all…"
Again, silence falls. And again, Maya's ears and tails flick nervously. She clutches at her skirt, digging her elongated nails into the fabrics.
"I-In any case," Junna says again. "We need to think about this as logically as possible."
"Logically?" Kaoruko scoffs. "About such an illogical thing as growing ears and tails?"
"What else can we do?" Futaba says. "We don't even know how it happened or why, or if it'll go away."
"We have classes on Monday…" Mahiru frets. "We should try to figure it out by then!"
"But until then… what do we do…?" Hikari mumbles.
"Hm…" Nana puts a hand to her chin. "Maybe like Karen-chan suggested we could try to meet Elle-san and ask her?"
"But since there isn't a ReLive happening," Claudine says. "How will she know to come find us?"
"That's true…"
"Knowing of the strange things that have happened with some of our plays," Junna says. "I think it's safe to say whatever this is won't go away anytime soon until we figure out exactly what the reasoning is."
"So Tendo-han will be like this until we can solve the mystery, yes?"
"Probably. And that's no good when we live around so many other people who have nothing to do with this sort of thing."
"So we tell 'em Tendo went back home suddenly?" Futaba suggests. "Like, outta the blue her parents called for her, and we don't know when she'll be back?"
"And just hide her away in her room until everything is solved?" Nana says. "That might be our only option. Junna-chan, do you think you can abuse your Class Rep power a bit and manipulate the paperwork?"
"Probably. I'll just have Tendo-san fake her parents' signatures and I should be able to handle the rest."
"Okay, that's a start…"
As they all discuss what should be done, Maya stands quietly, still flicking her new ears nervously at every little sound. Claudine steps closer to her and wordlessly takes one of her hands. Maya stiffens, tails bristling again as she tries to curl her claws away from Claudine's skin. But Claudine holds tight anyway and murmurs to her.
"It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
Maya hesitates for a moment longer, but then eventually returns her grip. Claudine gives her fingers a gentle squeeze.
Maya is clearly frightened by all of this, as anyone would be, but for once she's doing a terrible job at concealing it due to how expressive her ears and tails are.
The girls talk for a few more minutes, debating what should be done in order to get answers while concealing Maya for the time being.
By now the sun has set completely, and the studio is filled with the long shadows of a purple dusk.
It's then, when the last rays of light have faded, when Maya suddenly experiences a sharp pang in the back of her head. Flinching, she pulls her hand out of Claudine's without fully meaning to, gripping her head and ears with both hands. Everyone panics.
"T-Tendo-san?"
"What's going on?"
"Maya-?"
Maya staggers a step back, all nine tails swishing against each other. Her vision blurs a little and becomes hazy.
"I… I'm not sure-"
A splitting headache prickles around her skull, causing her ears to burn. Her friends can only watch, baffled and unsure of what to do. Only Claudine dares to get closer to her.
"Hey, Tendo Maya-" She tries to reach out for her, but Maya snaps her head up, eyes pleading.
"No… I'm not sure what this is… I don't know if I'll be able to control myself-"
But regardless of her warning, Claudine steps up closer to her anyway, resting a hand on top of Maya's head, between her flattened ears. Maya gasps from the pain in her skull, but the familiar softness of her partner's touch is comforting in all of these unknown feelings. She breathes in deeply, until the pain begins to subside little by little.
When it does, there is… something left behind. Something in her thoughts.
A message. An innate understanding.
"Tamamo-no-Mae…"
The words come from her lips without her fully meaning to say them. The other girls perk up.
"What?"
"Tendo-san?"
"Are you all right?"
Claudine helps her straighten up a bit, and Maya slowly drops her hands away from her head, letting her ears free. Now with the pain gone, an odd sort of clarity has come over her.
"Tamamo-no-Mae…" she says again. "She… she is here…"
"…Eh…?"
"Wh-What are you saying?"
"Her spirit…?"
"You mean-?"
"T-Tendo-san- Do you mean she's-?"
Maya dips her head solemnly.
"Yes… For lack of a better term, it seems her spirit has possessed me… And as such, I have been granted her most prominent features…"
"Tamamo-no-Mae's spirit…" Junna murmurs. "That's… but how?"
"Because Maya-chan played her so well," Nana says with sudden understanding. "Isn't that right?"
Maya slowly dips her head.
"Yes… It would appear that… due to my portrayal of her in the time when she roamed this earth… due to my accuracy of conveying her thoughts and emotions… her spirit has been drawn to me and taken hold of me now… Or so it would seem…"
"W… Whoa…" Futaba mumbles. "That's wild…"
"Hmph..." Kaoruko snorts. "Leave it to Tendo-han to play a role so perfectly she gets possessed, hm?"
"Oy Kaoruko!"
"I didn't mean it in a bad way! I think..."
"Tamamo-no-Mae... possessed you?" Karen asks. "Did she tell you that?"
"Yes," Maya replies. "It seems I can suddenly hear her thoughts and feel her emotions…"
"Only just now?" Mahiru asks.
"At nightfall," Hikari explains.
"That makes sense," Junna says. "After all, foxes are nocturnal…"
"I guess that's our answer then," Claudine mumbles, turning back to Maya. "Do you know why she's here? What does she want from you?"
Maya shakes her head, closing her eyes again for a moment as she tries to concentrate.
"I… I'm feeling… a sense of hunger from her. Desire. It would seem she wants… what I have…"
"What you have…?" Nana repeats. "You mean, your body?"
"Well that's too bad!" Claudine snaps. "She can't have it!"
"No…" Maya mumbles. "Not quite like that… I think… I think it's more to do with this lifestyle…"
Maya is quiet for a moment, trying to understand the strange emotions swirling inside her head. The fox spirit doesn't communicate with her in words, but rather in direct emotions that are linked to Maya's. She feels her burning conviction for something - something that Maya has that Tamamo-no-Mae never did. Maya holds onto that feeling and tries to follow it in her mind.
She feels remnants of the old fox spirit's experiences.
She feels the prickle of sly cunning and trickery.
She feels the heat of seduction used upon men and women alike.
She feels the wicked deceitfulness of a cruel mastermind.
All used to lure unsuspecting victims to be cursed or meet some tragic end. All things the legends and folklore described the fox demoness' spirit to be like. A jumble of misery and hatred and despair when she was finally given her just dessert...
But beneath it all, Maya can sense something else.
She dives deeper into the mental ocean the fox is sharing with her, plunging into the depths until she can feel there is more lingering, buried far at the bottom. Once she arrives there, Maya can feel very different emotions.
Suddenly, the discomfort and the heat and the misery fade away, and a sense of relief washes over her.
Now, hidden here beneath all the rest, is a sense of freedom. Joy. Innocence.
After all, before she became the dreaded Tamamo-no-Mae of legend, she too, was just a carefree fox pup.
Maya glimpses images of a young fox scampering through the woods, playing with others of her kind, hiding beneath the steps of a shrine before pouncing and tumbling with the others in a ball of tails and fur.
She can feel her running through the undergrowth without a care in the world, as freely as though she were flying.
She can hear her laughter barking through the hollow, and the patter of gleeful paws in the thicket.
All of these feelings that no play or movie or book ever mentioned.
All at once, Maya understands her mission, and why the fox spirit has found her. She had attracted Tamamo-no-Mae's spirit to her due to her accuracy in portraying her. And as such, the spirit has come to take hold of her in hopes that Maya might be able to give her what she truly wants.
"Youth." Maya murmurs the word out loud, and the others look up at her. Maya lifts her head to meet their eyes. "She wants to re-experience her youth. Before she was the feared Tamamo-no-Mae. When she was still just a young fox. She wants that freedom again. She wants that curiosity, and the process of learning new things. That is what I can gather from her thoughts now."
The other girls turn their heads to one another and begin talking excitedly.
"Youth! So that's what she wants."
"It makes sense. Since the stories only ever tell of her in her later years."
"So she's taken hold of Tendo-han for that…"
"But what the heck are we supposed to do to give her her youth back?"
"Will she not let Maya-chan go until we've figured it out…?"
Maya nods to confirm Nana's guess.
"It would seems so. Her spirit has become one with my body. And I don't believe she has any intention of letting go until I can help her get what she truly desires."
"Or what?" Claudine growls. "Don't tell me she'll… possess you for good. And then what…?"
Silence. Everyone seems to swallow in unison. Maya shakes her head.
"I… am not certain…"
Claudine bites her lip.
"Then we can't let it get to that point. We've got to give her what she wants as soon as possible so she'll leave you alone."
"But how…?" Mahiru says. "What should we do? We have school!"
"We'll think of something," Junna declares. "Tomorrow is Saturday. We can all discuss what to do. Tendo-san will just have to stay in her room as we tell the staff she went home for a few weeks."
"This is all so preposterous!" Kaoruko moans.
"Well the proof is right there on Tendo's head!" Futaba reminds her. "It's happenin', so we gotta do something."
"For starters," Claudine says. "Let's get back to the dorms."
"Yeah."
"Agreed."
"All this craziness made me forget I'm starving!"
"I'll make us something yummy!"
Like before, the girls form a circle around Maya in an effort to block her tails from the sight of any potential onlookers, though they are still clearly visible.
Nana exits first, peeking around before waving the others forward. As they all tiptoe out into the empty hallway and head for the exit doors, Claudine takes hold of Maya's hand once again.
Maya's emotions are all discombobulated from mixing with the fox's, but the moment Claudine touches her she feels a sense of ease. Whatever this is, it's real and it's happening to her. But at least she'll have her friends to help her through it.
The group pauses at the school's lobby, waiting for a few other girls to file out first before walking out the doors together. At least since it's darker outside now it would be more difficult for others to glimpse Maya's ears or tails. When they do pass under a street light, they do so quickly.
As they go, Maya finds that her vision is quite superb in the darkness now, and her sense of hearing is much more acute outside. She can hear every cricket, every passing car, every sound each of her friends makes as they usher her along.
It's all a bit overwhelming. She squeezes tighter to Claudine's hand, and Claudine returns the grip firmly.
It's when they've made it about halfway back to Starlight Hall when Maya's ears pick up on the sounds of other voices besides her friends'. She stiffens, and Claudine instantly takes note.
"What's the matter?"
Maya's ears swivel back.
"Someone is coming-"
"Ah! There they are!" A cheerful voice calls out from behind the group, and all nine girls whirl around. A quartet of their classmates is approaching from behind, waving and smiling as they take turns calling out.
"Tendo-san!"
"You disappeared before we got to say congratulations!"
"You were amazing tonight! Isurugi-san, too!"
"The play was a huge success!"
Maya turns around in an effort to put her tails behind herself, and Nana and Claudine move in close to her to block them from sight.
"Thank you very much," Maya says to the other girls, trying to sound composed as ever. Futaba quickly jumps up to face the other group.
"Hey! Haha, thanks you guys! Couldn't have done it without you and the rest of the crew! Great work as always!"
"Yeah!"
"It was so much fun!"
Kaoruko and Hikari tactfully move up to join Futaba, taking the girls' attention away from Maya as they discuss their minor roles in the play as well. At the same time, Claudine and the rest slowly move Maya off to the side to let the others pass ahead of them. But as they go, one of the girls looks to the side, and her smile fades.
"Huh? Tendo-san? Why didn't you take off your ears and tails?"
A sense of tight tension instantly fills the air. Surprisingly, it's Kaoruko who leaps in to make excuses.
"Oh you see, she was just so thrilled with the performance that she wanted to wear them a little longer. Just for fun. Isn't that sweet?"
Thankfully, the girls accept that explanation.
"Oh!"
"That makes sense!"
"I thought I saw the ears and tail back in storage, though?"
"Did we have a backup set? I guess we did."
"I-In any case-" Junna cuts in. "Nice work today. Make sure you head back right away and get some rest."
The other four girls smile.
"You got it, Hoshimi-san!"
"Thanks!"
"Goodnight!"
With this, the other girls trot off back to the dorms. Maya and her friends all release a sigh of relief. Futaba nudges her roommate.
"Good thinkin', Kaoruko."
"Fufu~ I'm quite skilled at quick-thinking, no?"
"Or just at lying."
"Hey!"
"Let's just get back quickly!" Mahiru frets. "Before anyone else sees us…"
"We're kind of like fugitives in the night! Or ninjas!"
"Bakaren. This is serious."
"Yeah, guess you're right."
Once everyone has calmed down again, they continue on their way back to the dorms.
When they finally arrive, Karen, Hikari, and Mahiru go in first to make sure the coast is clear before having the others file in. Claudine laces her fingers through Maya's.
"Let's get you back to your room first."
Maya nods, and once they are near enough, they break apart from the others and hurry to her bedroom. As soon as they've made it, Claudine closes the door behind them and locks it.
At last, the anxious sense of urgency begins to ebb away now that they're safe from being noticed. Claudine lets out a sigh, then turns on the light. Maya flinches at the sudden brightness now that her eyes are so much more sensitive. Claudine gasps softly.
"Sorry."
Maya gives her a small smile.
"No. It's all right."
Silence falls between them again now that they're alone. Claudine has stood in this room with her countless times before and there had never been an issue. But now she can't stop looking at the foreign ears and tails swirling around her partner.
Maya takes a step away from her, looking awkwardly to the floor, nothing at all like her usual self.
"Saijou-san…" She isn't exactly sure what she'd wanted to say, but when Maya catches sight of the scratches on her partner's wrist, her eyes grow wide. She recalls how she'd pulled away from her so suddenly before. "Ah, my apologies. You're hurt…"
Maya reaches out instinctually to take her hand, but stops herself when she remembers her claws. Claudine gives her a frantic look and takes Maya's hand anyway.
"Oh, please. This is nothing. I'm fine."
"But-"
"I said I'm fine." Claudine cups both of her hands around Maya's and squeezes, giving her a compelling glare. Maya breathes in slowly, then exhales.
"Saijou-san… I'm not sure what to do in all of this…"
Claudine flinches. She doesn't like seeing Maya this way, so scared and skittish. She draws up confidence in the places where Maya lacks it now.
"We aren't sure either," Claudine begins. "But once we all put our heads together, we'll figure something out. But like we said before, it's probably best we pretend you went away for a week or two so no one finds out about all of this." She steps a little closer to her to convey her support. "How do you feel? Does it hurt at all?"
Maya shakes her head, still getting used to the feeling of her ears and tail swishing as she does so.
"It doesn't hurt anymore like it did when the spirit first awakened and shared her feelings with me… but I can still sense her in every part of me. She is restless. She wants to move…" Maya tapers off, looking troubled. Claudine gives a small huff.
"Well she's going to have to wait. Because on top of having a full day of classes and the lead role in our performance tonight, Tendo Maya has also been possessed by an ancient spirit, so she's going to have to rest."
And in spite of how concerning the situation is, Maya somehow finds it in herself to smile at how defensive Claudine gets of her, even against a fox spirit. Maya curls her fingers very carefully through hers, mindful of her nails.
"I would very much like to take tonight to rest," she admits.
"Then that's what you'll do," Claudine decides. "But I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone when you're like this. I'll text Nana and have her deliver supper for us here. All right?"
Maya dips her head.
"Very well."
So Claudine takes out her phone to message Nana, then proceeds to lead Maya over to the bed. Maya sits down rather awkwardly considering all the tails, and Claudine can hardly keep close to her thanks to how thick they are.
"You know," she says. "They actually kind of suit you. I guess I've gotten so used to seeing you wear the costume."
Maya knows she's trying to lighten the mood. She smiles again.
"Thank you very much."
"Of course you'd look good no matter what, since you're the Tendo Maya. But it'll be quite refreshing to see you back to normal once we figure this out."
"I have to admit I agree."
"So are you sure that's what the spirit wants?" Claudine asks. "To re-experience her youth?"
"Yes. That is the feeling I'm getting from her."
"How are we supposed to know what a fox's youth is like, let alone help her experience it when she's in a human body…?"
They both fall into silence for a moment, until a knock comes on the door. Maya tenses up before Claudine reassures her.
"It's Nana. I'll get it."
Claudine gets up from the bed and crosses the room to open the door. Nana is standing there with two plates of omurice. Claudine lets her in and closes the door behind her before accepting the food.
"Merci. Did you all come up with any ideas yet?"
Nana shakes her head.
"Not yet. But Junna-chan is going to get the papers to give to the main office tomorrow morning to make it look like Maya-chan went home. Plus, if the staff think she isn't here, they won't check this room for inspection or roll call. But everyone is still shocked and tired tonight, so we think it'd be best to just get some sleep for now, and we'll discuss what to do tomorrow when we're off."
"That sounds reasonable," Maya says.
"Let's just hope Tamamo-no-Mae will behave herself," Claudine says. "And not try to take over you completely or something like that."
Maya fiddles her hands on her skirt.
"I fear that may be the case if we fail to give her what she wants…"
Both Claudine and Nana frown. Claudine slowly brings Maya her dinner and sits down beside her.
"That won't happen. We'll think of something. Let's just eat now, all right? I bet you're starving."
"Kuro-chan, are you staying here tonight?" Nana wonders.
Claudine glances back at Maya, who gives her an imploring look. Claudine nods.
"Oui. I don't intend to leave Tendo Maya alone when she's like this. I've got to take care of my rival so I can beat her fairly, right?"
Nana giggles. "Of course! All right then, I'll leave you two for now. Kuro-chan, come meet with us in the lounge in the morning so we can all talk and see what we can come up with."
"All right."
"Goodnight, you two. Text us if you need anything."
"Goodnight, Nana."
"Thank you, Daiba-san."
Nana locks the door before slipping out into the hallway and closing the door behind herself.
Maya and Claudine begin eating their dinner, with Maya awkwardly holding her utensils due to her claws. Claudine is glad she still has an appetite. Maya finishes her meal before Claudine does, then puts the plate aside on her nightstand. She stands up and takes a few steps toward the door before stopping.
"Ah… I suppose I can't use the communal showers like this."
"Probably not."
"How should I even go about washing these tails?" Maya wonders. "I'm not even sure if I'll be able to fit into my shower."
"Just do your best. I'll help you dry them off afterward. The last thing we need is to let you catch a cold when you're hosting a spirit."
Maya lets out a small chuckle before going to her drawers for sleepwear. But she realizes she can't exactly wear the usual nightgown, with these tails. She's lucky they didn't puncture a hole through her skirt. As things are, she decides sweatpants are the most logical option, so she gathers a pair of those and a sweater.
"I'll wait here," Claudine says. "Since I wasn't cast in the play, I already showered this morning. Call for me if you need anything."
"Very well."
So Maya heads off into her own personal bathroom and closes the door.
Undressing is quite the hassle with all of the tails to consider. Her reflection seems so abnormal, but at the very least the fur keeps her bare back rather warm.
Cautiously, she steps into the shower, just barely fitting. The moment the water hits her sensitive ears she yelps softly, letting them lie flat on top of her head. Within seconds all nine tails get wet and weighed down and droop a bit.
It's a struggle to wash off her body past the tails, and then wash her hair around the ears. She ends up cutting the shower a bit short, realizing she doesn't need to do anything fancy since no one but her closest friends are going to be seeing her for a while.
She shuts off the water and steps out, trying to wrap a towel around herself. Perhaps a bit instinctively, she gives a shake to dry her tails, and water splatters everywhere. She gets dressed, pulling her sweatpants up as far as her tails allow at the base of her spine. From there she takes a clean towel with her back out into the bedroom.
In her absence, Claudine had finished eating and gotten dressed in one of Maya's spare nightgowns. When she looks up at her now, Claudine chuckles a bit.
"Somehow you look even messier than before you went in. Hand me that towel."
Maya does so as Claudine comes over to her. But she pauses before touching her.
"Is it all right? Will she get mad at me?"
Maya ponders for a moment, then shakes her head.
"I don't think so."
"I'll be careful."
Claudine gently wraps the towel around one of Maya's damp tails, then slowly begins rubbing it dry. Maya shudders at the strange feeling of someone else touching one of her new tails, but the heat that gets generates in her wet fur feels nice.
Claudine does her best on the first tail before moving on to the second, and the third, until all nine have been thoroughly dried. When she's finished, she drops the wet towel covered in excess fur into the hamper.
"There, that should do."
"Thank you, Saijou-san."
"Certainly not something I expected to be doing on a Friday night."
"I imagine not."
With this Claudine turns off the lights, so that only silver moonlight glows in the room. Maya's eyes instantly adjust. She takes Claudine's hand and guides her back to the bed before pausing.
"Perhaps I should sleep on the floor," she says. "I'm not sure we could both fit on the bed as things are."
"You're not sleeping on the floor in your own bedroom," Claudine huffs. "I'll do it."
"I couldn't let you do that," Maya refuses.
"So then we'll both sleep on the bed," Claudine decides. "We'll make it work somehow." She invites Maya to go first.
So Maya crawls slowly onto the mattress. Since she is quite literally unable to lie on her back now, she chooses to lie on her side with all of her tails to the edge of the bed. Claudine lies on her side facing her.
"There. This should work just fine. Even if you fall off, you'll have nine cushions."
"But you wouldn't have any," Maya frowns. "Therefore…" She opens her arms, inviting Claudine closer. Claudine rolls her eyes playfully.
"Then I guess I have no choice." She shifts closer beneath the blankets, which are ruffled strangely because of Maya's tails. Maya wraps her arms around Claudine's waist, but still hesitates with curling her nails in too much. Claudine hugs her shoulders.
"How is Tamamo-no-Mae?" she murmurs.
Maya is silent for a moment, searching internally for her presence.
"She seems to be more dormant for the time being," she reports. "Perhaps the act of awakening and becoming one with me was exhausting for her as well."
"Good. Then hopefully we can all get some sleep tonight. Who knows? Maybe we'll wake up tomorrow and those ears and tails will be gone."
"That would be preferable…"
Claudine brushes her nose softly with Maya's, then tucks Maya against her chest. She rests her chin on top of Maya's head like she so often does, only this time the tips of her tall ears tickle Claudine's cheek. But once she gets used to that, she finds they're very soft and warm.
And for Maya, it's a bit awkward at first too. After all, her ears are no longer where they normally are, and instead come to settle around Claudine's neck. But even then, when making barely any contact with her skin at all, Maya can hear so much. She hears every quiet breath Claudine takes, and hears every beat of her heart as if she were pressed up against it directly.
She shifts around for a moment, trying to get acclimated to the acuteness of her hearing. Behind her, her tails twitch and bundle together, some lying on top of others in a fluffy sort of pile. But, other than those few differences, everything else remains the same.
They still hold onto one another as they always do, and share the same warmth between them.
Once Maya has finally settled down, Claudine pulls her a bit closer.
"How do you feel?"
Even though Claudine had spoken in a murmur, Maya hears and feels the vibrations of her voice extremely clearly.
"Given the unique circumstances, I think I feel quite well now."
"Good. Then let's get some rest, because who knows if Tamamo-no-Mae will be this peaceful tomorrow night."
"I agree."
Maya closes her eyes, listening to the more evident rhythm of Claudine's pulse for a moment.
In spite of this fantastical occurrence, all of her friends had accepted Maya immediately, and none more so than Claudine. Maya hugs her a bit tighter, letting her nails curl into her partner's nightgown.
"Saijou-san… thank you."
"What for?" Claudine murmurs. "I'm doing what any good classmate would. Everyone is. You didn't think we'd just leave you to deal with this on your own, did you?"
Maya burrows a bit more into the crook of her neck.
"Even so… I want to tell you. Because I am not sure if I will be myself in the morning…"
Claudine tightens her hold on Maya protectively.
"Even if you're not, we'll get you back somehow. So don't worry."
And even though Maya does worry just a bit, she feels an even stronger sense of relief and gratitude.
"Thank you, Claudine."
With the formalities gone, Claudine closes her eyes.
"Gets some rest, Maya."
It takes a bit longer than it normally would, but eventually Claudine feels Maya nod off, and then lets herself go right after.
As they sleep, the whimpers of a fox rumble softly from the bed.
A/N: As Kaoruko said, leave it to Tendo Maya to have played a role so perfectly and accurately that she rouses the actual spirit she'd been portraying and get possessed haha. If anyone, it would be her. Maya's too talented for her own good this time!
So this ancient fox spirit was awoken by Maya's portrayal of her, and is now enticed by Maya's young vessel of a body, craving the youth and freedom she once knew. And if Maya and her friends can't give it to her, who knows what could happen...?
At least they have the beginnings of a plan now though... sort of!
Please review!