#Riku (the-minuscule-task)

[jolienjoyswriting]

The Maiden in the Mist (ft. Riku (the-minuscule-task), Ch. IV

Chapter 4 of 4 for "The Maiden in the Mist," a fan fiction story.

In the morning after a peaceful slumber, the ryū and kitsune discuss the future of their newfound relationship.

Word count: 2,620 – Character count: 15,228 Drafted: April 5th, 2023 Revised: April 6th, 2023 –

“Everybody wants a big dragon wife. uwu”     – the-miniscule-task

The more I wrote in this story, the more I found myself in full agreement with these words.  I… haven't fallen for a character so hard since jayrnski's Maple.  I guess… that's just my preference; I really like sweet, cute, innocent girls.  And, honestly?  While I'm not sure who's sweeter or more innocent between Riku and Maple, I do know that when I wrote this story… I was completely head-over-heels for the big, cuddly ryuusei waifu~ (Yes, I'm still aware that means "shooting star", not "nature dragon" or something.)

Riku and related characters and concepts created by and © the-minuscule-task Joseph Lithius and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    "Mm…  Mmmmm…"

    My body moved and I felt short of breath.  Consciousness was coming back to me, slowly but surely.  My eyes fluttered a little… then they focused on something… green.  I tried to talk, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate.  I squirmed a little and found that I couldn't move very much.  Eventually, I started to realize… I was bound on the spot and my mouth – or rather, my lips – were being used.  By the time I'd fully understood what was going on, all the things locking me in place were released all at once.

    "Yozefu-san!"     I blinked several times in a row.  A familiar, green set of eyes was looking at me.     "Yozefuuu…"     And they were wet…

    "Oh…  H-hey, Riku," I whispered as I stretched.  "What's up?"     Riku, the lizard… dragon… uh… the cute thing from the hot spring was leaning on her arm next to me.  She looked ecstatic, beaming at me and half-crying.  As I looked around, I noticed that… we were still in that room at the hot spring.  That kind of made sense.     "I fell asleep…" I commented, sitting up.  "What time is it?"     I looked around for my phone… only for Riku to turn my head back her way.  She leaned in and offered a hard smooch before drawing back.  It was enough to get me blushing…     "W-well," I said with a nervous smile, "someone's affectionate this… morning?"     I looked toward the nearby window.  Yep.  It was morning…     "God… I don't know how people in Oedo did it…" I said, popping some joints as I stretched more.  "These straw mats are brutal on the back…"     I sighed, then I smiled.     "So?" I asked, gesturing to her.  "What's up?"     Riku looked like she was bursting at the seams to tell me something.  I'm pretty sure she'd been waiting for me to stop talking and pay attention…  I felt a little bad about that.

    "Yū sutēitto uisu mī!" she said with the usual amount of Engrish.  "Sankku yū…"     She gently stroked my cheek and looked at me with enough warmth to melt even the coldest of winters…     "Ai rāvvu yū, Yozefu…"     My brain hadn't quite caught up to what she was trying to tell me.  Something about staying with her?  As she leaned in and gave me another kiss, though, my brain finally translated her words.  And… I pulled away.     "Riku…?"  I stared, wide-eyed and red-faced.  "W-wait…  What do you–"     I paused, then I grabbed my phone.     "What do you mean you love me?" I had it ask in Japanese.     "Mm!"     Riku reached over… and drew a little heart over my heart.     "Rāvvu!" she exclaimed, beaming with pride.  Oh, crap…

    "Riku!" I cried.  "Hold the phone– I mean put on the breaks– ah…  Chottomatte!"     "Eeehh?"  The girl flinched, looking like I'd just struck her.  "Yozefu-san…?"     She smiled again… but tears were starting to build in her eyes.     "Rikaidekinai…  A-anata mo watashi o aishite i… iru to omoimashita ka?  Otagai-sukinara… d-dō shita no?"     I didn't know what she was saying.  I never did.  But I didn't need to.  She was huffing and trying desperately to keep from breaking into loud sobs.  I hated making her cry…     "No…" I whispered, reaching up and stroking her cheek.  "I…"     She closed her eyes, immediately calming as she leaned into my hand.  God… how could I deny such a warm, sweet, sensitive girl like her…?

    "Marry me."

    Riku's eyes slowly opened and she looked at me like a confused child might.  She was still leaning into my hand and her tears had calmed, but something was still wrong.  When my phone translated those two words into Japanese for her… she didn't seem to process them.  Then, without warning…     "Eh?  Eeehh…?  Eeeeehhh…?!"     She whipped back and looked at me like I'd gone insane!

    Okay, so… I don't exactly know how to transcribe what she said at that point…  It was… a lot of syllables.  I'm sure there were some whole words in there, too.  I'm just not entirely sure she was saying anything coherent.  She was in a full-blown panic!  Apparently… I'd… misunderstood her.  Like… severely.  And the worst part?  I'd only "proposed" to her as a joke…

    "Riku!  Riku, calm down–"     "Chottomatte, Yozefu!  Watashi wa anata–"     "I didn't mean– I was only–"     "Kekkon shitakunai!!  Wa-wa-watashitachiha otagai–"     "I-I'm sorry!!  I'm sorry… I…"     Riku was going to say something else, I'm sure.  When she saw me break down crying, though…     "Yozefu-san…?"     She snapped out of her panic… and went into full "comfort mode".

    I sniffled and shivered as she pulled me into her arms, rocking me and singing some Japanese… lullaby, maybe?  Whatever it was, it was the sweetest thing I'd heard in a long time… and it helped me stop panicking.  Heh.  I guess she just had that effect on me.  And I clearly had that effect on her…

    "Rāvvu…"

    Once we were both pretty sure I was calm, I leaned back and looked at her.  She spoke again, but in a softer voice than normal.

    "Rāvvu…" she almost whispered, holding up her hands in a heart shape.     "L… love…" I answered, returning the gesture.     "Dokidoki…" she continued, moving her hands forward and back like a heartbeat.     "Bump-bump…" I replied, doing the same.     "Suriru…"     "Um… 'thrill'?"  I wasn't sure about that one.     She nodded.  Then, she brought a hand up and gently poked in the middle of where my curled hands rested.     "Rāvvu yū, Yozefu…"     "I… I love you, too?"  I was starting to get confused, again.  What was she getting at…?     The dragon girl held a finger up.  She said a bunch of stuff into her phone.  Then, I listened as it played back in English…

    "There are many kinds of love in this world.  Conjugal love.  I love dogs and flying discs.  Love between friends.  Joseph, I love you as a friend.  You have come very close to me in a very short time and in a very meaningful way.  I hope we can get married someday.  Until then, I want to share love like the one we shared.  Cuddle.  I hate tea.  Say you will remain my friend."

    We both sort of… looked at each other.  Then, we looked at the phone.  Mostly in confusion.  Even though Riku's knowledge of English was about as limited as my knowledge of Japanese, she was pretty sure that a lot of what she said got lost in that translation.  Instead of trying again, though, she just sighed and tried something different.

    "Rāvvu yū, Yozefu," she repeated.  "Kawaii kitsune furīenddo!  Etooo…"     She paused, looking down as she desperately tried to "convert" words in her head.     "Hāguzu!" she chirped.  "Kishizu!  Dakishimeru…"     She gestured to me as she spoke.  First, she wrapped her arms around the air, squeezing.  Then, she brought a hand up and blew a kiss.  Lastly, she laid down and seemingly nuzzled the straw mat, scooting closer to some… thing?  I didn't get it, at first…  But, then…     "Riku…?"     She sat back up.  When she saw me smile, she smiled, too.

    "'Love'… 'friend'?" I asked.  She nodded, so I then asked, "You love me as a friend?"     Yes.  I know.  The phone had said that clearly.  Still… I wanted to confirm it.     She sort of understood what I was saying.  There was a look of confusion, followed by a bright smile… followed by another confused look, and an "Etooo…"     "Riku."     She perked.  When I leaned in and kissed her nose… she giggled, then she pulled me into a hug.  Okay, I think we were on the same page, finally…

    "So, I guess sex is off the table for now?"     I made sure my translator was off before I made my dumb joke.  However…     "Dainamaitto Sekkushī, ban-ban."     I had to stifle a swear.  She'd whispered to me, then she very gently kissed the base of my ear.  She was teasing me!  Luckily for us both, she stopped almost immediately and giggled.

    "Hey, uh…"  I turned my translator back on and asked, "Please don't be upset, but when I asked you to marry me, I was only kidding."     "Mm…"  She softly nodded, giving me a thumbs-up and a wink.  "Nō purobaremu!"     She brightly smiled at me.  What a relief…     "Also…"  I paused before asking, "Did you understand the last thing I said?"     "What you said when I replied, 'Dynamite sexy, bang-bang'?" she answered through her own translator.     I nodded.  "Yeah."     "I heard…" she began, her translation app skipping the word "sekkusu" for some reason, "but I didn't understand.  Was it important?"     I paused…  "Can I ask you something personal?"     She blushed, but she nodded.     "Why did you offer your body to me at the hot spring?"     I'm… not sure my translator did its job correctly.  Riku tilted her head as if processing what it said that I said.  After a few seconds, she talked into her phone and it translated.     "What does 'offering my body' mean?"     "You… seemed like you wanted to have sex after you checked to see if I was okay.  But, you seemed apprehensive, too…  Were you just being nice?"     The girl deeply blushed before the second thought got translated.  Apparently, the translation had worked that time.     "Etooo…"  She bit her lower lip.     "You don't have to tell–"     My translator tried to process that as she cut me off.     "I wanted to have sex," her translator told me as she uncomfortably shrank, "but I was scared.  We were strangers, but you seemed nice.  If you had tried… I would have let you…"     I felt a little tense.  There was a question I wanted to ask… but I wasn't sure I should.     "Did you want to have sex right now?"     I blushed as she suddenly asked the question for me, instead.  Well… not verbatim.  Her translator didn't relay the inflections, stammers, squeaks, or pauses very well.  Regardless, it still made me blush and fold my ears.     "Did you want to have sex?" I asked through my translator.     She shivered, blushing and looking… uncomfortable.     She whispered something that translated to: "U-um… if– if you want me to?"     Yep.  That was all I needed to make a decision.

    "E-eto– ch-chottomatte…!  Ah– mm…"

    I scooted over and knelt beside the girl, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and hugging her.  As I nuzzled her cheek, she changed from a nervous wreck into a warm, dragon-shaped kind of putty, heavily leaning into me and closing her eyes.  We were still tense, no doubt, but I think she appreciated the fact that I didn't want to just… use her like that.  What worried me, though, was the fact that she wasn't trying to cuddle back…     "Are you okay?"     She softly nodded in response to my translator.     "Do you want some water?"     She nodded again and I got up.  When I came back with a full teapot of cool water, she gently accepted it and put her lips to the spout, taking small sips.     "I'm sorry for upsetting you…" I whispered.     My phone picked it up despite my quiet tone, then Riku looked at me.     "Yozefu-kun?"  She looked… hopeful.  "Kissu me?"     I smiled.  "Okay."     The girl set her teapot down and turned to face me.  When I leaned in to kiss her… she pulled me in tight!  I blushed hard as she wrapped her entire snout around my muzzle and held me in place.  Was she going to tongue-kiss me…?!  I got my answer almost immediately… as she blew into my mouth.  Hard.

    As I jerked away, sputtering and coughing, she just laughed and laughed…  Eventually, I started to smile, then I laughed a little.     "Well, now I can tell people you blew me…" I joked.     "Sate," my cell phone repeated in Japanese, "ima dewa anata ga watashi o fukitobashita koto o hitobito ni tsutaeru koto ga dekimasu."     My ears fell.  "God damn it…"  Luckily…     "Yū burō mai mainddo, bēbī!"     Riku just winked and fired "finger guns" at me before giggling.  Apparently, my app had translated that sentence as something like "you blow me away".  We both laughed, then, as my phone picked up her Engrish and tried to translate it into Japanese.  I had no idea how close it was, but again… she seemed amused.

    "Anyway…" I began anew, "I really like you, Riku."     She smiled as my phone translated for me.  "I like you, too, Joseph!" her phone helpfully answered.     "I'd like to spend more time with you… if– if that's okay?"     She blushed and squirmed when my phone finished.  Then, she nodded.     "Kissu?"     Her face brightened and she smiled.  "Kissu!"     I leaned in again before telling her, "No burō."     "No burō!" she giggled.     I smiled, then I scooted closer.  We held each other close as she shared another long kiss…  God, she was good at kissing.

    "Mm…"     I blushed, my ears flicking as the kiss ended.     "Reddoroketto?"     "Wh-what?"     Riku giggled and tried to hide her face… but she asked again, "R… reddoroketto?"     Oh… my god.  Was she… was she asking if…?  I shyly nodded… and she squirmed, giggling.  Then, she leaned over, whispering something in my ear that I'm not quite sure I heard correctly.  Unless I'm wrong, though… I swear… swear… she whispered in her cutest voice… "Hoonī foo yuū, bēbī…"     I… I froze.  When she noticed me freeze, though, she gently placed her hands on my cheeks and leaned in, softly rubbing noses with me.     "Riku wa bakada…  Rāvvu yū, Yozefu…" she said.  She grinned, then, leaning back and opening her arms their full length apart.  "Ai rāvvu yū chiiiiisu māchu!!"     I couldn't take it.  I immediately burst into laughter!  When she did, too, we both fell over and continued laughing for a while.  She could be so damn cute…

    "Man… I never thought I could have this much fun with someone I don't understand…"     "Nani o itta no ka wakarimasenga, totemo umakatta ni chigai arimasen!"     "Same…"     We chuckled as we cuddled a little more, just happy to be there with one another.  It didn't matter that we couldn't properly communicate.  Friendship was something that went beyond the boundaries of things like language.  So long as we could look into each other's eyes… so long as we could touch each other's arms… so long as we could be open, honest, and sometimes even affectionate… I'm pretty sure we understood each other perfectly.  That's… probably why we never did end up having sex.  I know…  That's probably really disappointing – especially after all the build-up and tension.  But you know what?  Sometimes, it's nice to have just made a friend.  Especially one that's as amazing as her…

    Riku apologized on the morning that I was heading back to the States.  She apologized… like… a lot.  She begged forgiveness in two languages, even!  It wasn't necessary, though…  I understood… dragon or not… she just… wasn't comfortable in big towns.  She was amazing, though…  Not just because she might've been a magical creature thought to be extinct or because she was so tall and beautiful… but because she was honest.  Because she was pure.  And… because she loved unconditionally.     "Dorīmu avvu me, bēbī?" she asked, only half-serious.  She could tell how sad I was…     "I'll dream of you every night, Riku…" I answered, unable to stop myself from crying.     "Rāvvu yū tsū, Yozefu…" she whispered back, pressing her forehead to mine.     "Love you, too, Riku…"  I hated making her cry…

    I left Kurama Village feeling morose.  I managed to avoid crying on the plane as I remembered the almost two weeks I'd spent with that warm, beautiful lady… visiting springs, shines, and small villages as we got to know each other.  It hurt, knowing I wouldn't be able to see her again until my next vacation.  But, well… as the universal saying goes…

    "Shouganai"…

[unlockthelore]

Chivalry

For so long, Kairi had been the one who was protected, but now she had to protect the ones who tried their hardest for her.

Part of the Beyond the Horizon series on Ao3. For more updates, follow the beyond the horizon tag on this blog.

Returning to the island where they played as children was difficult on Riku. As much as he tried to hide his inner struggles, they were there, plain as day in Kairi’s eyes. She could tell how he tried not to approach the Secret Place or the furthermost treehouse with its open terrace where the palm trees shaded enough for a nice nap. Walks along a sandy shore with the surf’s chilled foamy waters rolling over their feet were harder when they looked back and found only two sets of footprints instead of three. She didn’t pretend not to notice when Riku squeezed her hand or lingered on the bent paopu tree long past sunset.

A space always left between them for the one who couldn’t be there with them.

For now, she reminded herself. Just for now.

--------------------------                                                                                                    

“Need another pin.”

Riku’s voice roused her from her thoughts just as the waves crashed against the pier’s wooden posts. A spray of water misting against the soles of her feet as they swung back and forth over the damp wooden boards. Kairi tipped her head to one side then glanced toward the calloused palm hovering in her periphery. The scrapes and bruises unable to be healed by healing magic blended into peach tanned skin, but afternoons spent tracing them with her nails reminded her of where they were. She shuffled slightly, a throbbing ache in her lower back from sitting in one position for so long. Her fingers dipped into the small cup of bobby pins left beside an assortment of colorful hair clips beneath the pom of her moogle backpack. Two plucked out and set in Riku’s palm. Sunlight catching on the glossy black surface until his fingers curled around them and a light kiss was pressed to the top of her head.

“Thank you.”

Kairi smiled to herself, one of her knees pulled to her chest as she leant back against him. His fingers working into her hair with the start of another braid somewhere at the right side of her head. “So you’re going on another world tour after this?” She asked, resting her hand against his thigh, the checkered pattern of his board shorts plucked between her fingertips.

It took a moment longer for him to reply. Always so serious with his work, a distracted hum was his only response for a moment. “Yeah…” He murmured, and she felt him tie off the braid after snapping on a rubber band. “Part of being a Keyblade Master is making sure no one has so much as a hurt toe, I guess.”

“Riku,” she scolded gently.

Although, she could understand his discontent with the task. Masters were charged with the world’s affairs, but in Kairi’s opinion, it seemed too big of a job for one person. Or two, in Aqua and Riku’s case. More than that, she knew what he wanted to do with the access he was given to traversing the worlds but someone had to be there to help. Perhaps they were following Sora’s example by trying to do more for others instead of putting themselves first.

She frowned and curled her fingers around Riku’s knee, squeezing gently. “It has been awhile though, and it would be nice to see everyone again.”

The likelihood of new information cropping up was minuscule but they could take comfort in knowing their friends hadn’t given up. Just as they hadn’t. Riku’s thigh tensed beneath her elbow and his hands stilled in her hair. She could tell he was considering her words or at least the implication set behind them. A light ruffle to the back of her head before he started to gather her hair up in a ponytail.

“Just so long as you don’t disappear into the castle for hours,” he said with a playful scolding tone. “I swear, Ienzo will talk to you forever about science if you let him.”

Kairi smiled, keeping her head stilled as he continued combing his fingers through her hair. “He’s just really passionate about what he does!” She clapped her hands together, fingertips pressing and palms barely touching. “Besides, it’s nice to hear it.”

To be included, if she were honest. So often were things done without her involvement or knowledge. Left out. Left behind. She was sick and tired of being the odd one out who wasn’t expected to do anything. If everyone she loved was going to fight then so was she. Even if it did mean going through lectures and notes Ienzo meticulously prepared, far too eager to share his knowledge with someone else.

After a few moments of idle humming and his hands working through her hair, Kairi bounced and pressed her empty hand to her thigh. “Are we done?” She tried to keep the impatience out of her voice but she desperately wanted to see his work. Growing out their hair again had been a mutual decision for the time being.

The unspoken condition not having to be said when they thought back to their journey before the last. Sora lamenting that he was the only one who hadn’t grown between the three of them. When in her eyes, he was one of the two that had changed the most.

Her bangs were swept to one side in answer, Riku’s lilting hum coming with the soft click of a hair clip. Rough palms gently cupped her cheeks and tipped her head back to where his lips were waiting to brush a kiss against her forehead. It was featherlight and fleeting, ending before she could really enjoy it, but a pleasant touch all the same. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as her lips pulled back in a smile, fingers curled over his own to squeeze.

“Are we done?”

“Mmm…” Sharp shadows cast by the fading afternoon sun darkened Riku’s blue-green eyes, half-lidded as his gaze flicked about her face lingering somewhere above her eyes. “Yep.”

Kairi grinned and brushed his hands away, twisting to kneel between his thighs, her arms thrown around his neck in a tight hug. “Thanks Riku.”

“Welcome,” he murmured. His breath ghosted across her bare shoulder, sending shivers down her spine that had little to do with the water dribbling along her toes. Gentle pressure from his hand flattened against her back in the barest show of affection.

Kairi sighed. Her mouth tucked against the curve of his jaw as she held him close and listened to the waves. One day, she wished, one day Riku would be able to accept the love they had to give him. As a friend and hopefully something else. She pulled back enough to hold him by the shoulders, ignoring a faint flutter in her chest when he looked up at her from beneath silver-white eyelashes.

“How about we go tomorrow?”

Surprise flickered across Riku’s features, and Kairi could understand why. Abrupt departures were something they tried to avoid when finding a new normal. But normal was far off for either of them. “Fine by me,” he said after a brief pause, a small smile quirked at the corners of his lips. “Little late today anyway. Your grandpa will kick my ass if you disappear without telling him.”

Kairi stifled a giggle behind a closed fist drawn to her mouth while her other hand thumped against Riku’s shoulder scoldingly. While she could recall the mayor’s stricken face when she returned to the main land, it was his weeping in private that’d made her reluctant to leave so soon.

“He’s been letting up just a little with letting me go more, but I still should tell him.”

The hand against her lower back hovered somewhere near her hip with the other joining it to keep her steady. Riku shifted backward to make room for her to clamor up onto the pier, the items spilled out of their shared backpack stored away.

“Lucky you,” she heard Riku say as he tried to free the moogle’s pom from the pack’s zipper. Her reflection in her gummiphone’s camera smiling and observing the three braids, clip and high ponytail he’d done with interest.

Once their pack was closed and hiked up on Riku’s shoulder, he held his hand out to her and Kairi took it with a light squeeze. She hooked her fingers in the opening of her sneakers and carried them at her side as they walked down the pier. Riku strolling down the steps one by one while Kairi hopped two by two. Their uneven pace dragged him forward a bit and only after he nudged her shoulder did she decide to slow down. Moisture along the soles of her feet made the sand cling between her toes, a soft krrch as she rubbed them together, enjoying the grit and slight sink of her heels in the sun warmed shores.

It only made sense for her to walk in the surf, she pointed out to Riku as she tugged him over. Glistening waters washed over her feet and barely touched the soles of his sandals although he made sure to gripe about it every time it came close. Their talks ranged from his mother’s experiments with the Keyblade out of sheer engineering delight, and their respective guardians’ reactions to learning there were other worlds outside of their own. While her grandfather seemed to accept it well enough, Riku’s mother was infinitely curious.

Like mother, like son.

“My mom’s been worried every time I talk about a new world. Chip and Dale gave her a gummiphone to ease her worry, and they’ve been talking non-stop about prototypes and who knows what else.”

Kairi giggled. “Little victories, Riku.”

He shot her a look of mock annoyance. “Always looking on the bright side, aren’t you? Let me sulk a bit, will ya?”

As they crossed beneath the bridge connecting the island to the smaller one a bit further from its shores, Kairi pretended to think it over. Shade provided by the wood was filtered with glimmers of light between the cracks and openings. It’d been awhile since Sora’s dad came to patch the bridge up. She could hardly imagine what it would be like a few years from now. Rolling her eyes up to the small streaks of sunlight, she hummed then shook her head.

“Nope!” She swung their hands back and forth, smiling despite his withering stare. “Not allowed.”

Riku sighed heavily, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes. “Whatever you say, princess.”

Princess.

Kairi swallowed. She hardly thought of the title much in the recent year or two. Not like when she’d been pulled from their island the first time. Her heart vied after because it was that of a princesses’. Seeing all of those empty faces, vacant eyes, Sora’s pain to strive and get her back but all he saw was a shell. She wasn’t truly inside. She was part of him. The princess who needed saving was right by his side all along but unable to do a thing.

“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?” She asked, trying to keep the mood jovial but the bitter thought soured her tone.

Riku’s half-jesting smile fell, a single brow raised as they slowed to a stop half-way beneath the bridge. “Why would I?”

“Because I’m not really a princess,” she said. Not at all. Even from the world she truly came from, there was nothing about her that was princess-like. Only a little girl who enjoyed flowers and her grandmother’s stories.

“What? You mean like the ones in fairy tales?”

Something in her snapped at the mention of fairy tales. Her grandmother’s face, weathered with age but sincere with greyed eyes and a chipper smile. “Yes,” she huffed. Riku snorted and shook his head. Kairi frowned. Just what was he not understanding? “I’m not a princess.”

She squeezed his hand and the last of the humor drained out of him as he stared down at her, his eyes seeming to glow in the weak light.

“Okay, and what is a princess to you?”

Her mouth fell open and for a moment, she wasn’t sure what to say. Her grandmother described princesses in one way or another with all of the stories of young women scattered across time in different worlds.

“Someone that’s meant to be royalty,” Kairi started, ticking off the traits on her fingers. “Calming, kind, gentle, loving, caring.”

With it laid out before her, she had to attest that she wasn’t any of those things. Hardly calming with the amount of trouble that stirred with her mere presence. Kind was an overstatement. She was nice when she wanted to be and otherwise, if someone really deserved it then she’d let them have it. Gentle, absolutely not. Loving, her gaze flicked to Riku and his thoughtful expression then the image of Sora in her mind.

Caring? If she cared, then neither of them would be like —

“Wanna know what a princess is like to me?” Riku interjected, cutting off the poisonous thoughts and dragging her back to reality. His eyes were glowing in the darkness and seemed to only render her silent as all she could do was muster a nod. “Someone like you.”

With how resolutely he spoke the words, she couldn’t think of anything to say in response. Transfixed on his face and the stern set of his jaw as he held her hand a bit tighter.

“So what if you weren’t meant to be royalty. Half the people who are don’t deserve it anyway,” he seemed to consider something then shrugged half-heartedly. “Sans the king and queen that is.”

Kairi tried not to laugh as Riku mumbled and fumbled with his words. It was sincere and she felt the biting souring thoughts begin to drift backward. Not out of mind but further from the centre of it.

“People have to want to follow you and listen to you. You think Donald and Goofy would’ve chased after Mickey for so long if they didn’t at least like him?”

She had to give him a point on that one. King Mickey, despite all of his faults, was fairly likable if not a little cute. Donald was a bit of a livewire while Goofy could be a bit lazy now and again. For both of them to run around the worlds with Sora in search of their lost king, he had to be something.

Still, that changed little in what she thought. Her fingers pressed against his own, their palms warm and a bit clammy. “Who would want to listen to me?”

Her voice rarely reached. When Sora needed encouragement, when he was at his lowest and felt abandoned by all those around him, she could barely summon a word to help him out. But she could hear him calling to her all the time from where she slept. Assuring her that he would come and rescue her, that he missed her, that they would all be together again. Riku did the same but his words were harsher. He assured he would protect her, that he wouldn’t let anything else harm her, that they’d go elsewhere — all three of them — just like they said.

They were all blinded and unable to hear.

And all she wanted was for them to listen to what she had to say.

Riku tugged her close by the hand, her toes catching in the sand as she fell into the solid warmth of his chest. His hand pressed to her back as he held her close.

“Me. Right now.… Hear me out?”

Kairi curled her fingers in the back of his tank top and pressed her forehead to his chest, nodding slowly. Riku felt sturdy and firm, solid with enough softness that she could be sure he wasn’t made out of stone. His fingers brushed against the swell of her ponytail and she hugged him tighter around his middle.

“You’re kind, you’re caring…” He snorted and flicked the ends of her hair, sending them sweeping against her shoulders with a light tickle that made a giggle bubble up in her throat. “And very stubborn.”

Kairi huffed, patting his back lightly. “So are you.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t mind being a princess,” Riku said in a snobbish tone. Kairi biting back laughter by burying her face against his chest. His own chuckles felt as vibrations beneath her cheek. “Let me finish.”

She nodded slowly and brought her other hand around his middle, her sneakers knocking together as she hooked her hands by her pinkies. Riku’s hand settled against the top of her head and smoothed down her hair. The distant crash of waves, trickling frorm the makeshift waterfall near the little cove they called their Secret Place. Even the gentle creaking of the wood as it groaned beneath a salty breeze rolled in from the ocean. It all reminded her so much of home.

“You’re kind but you don’t let people walk over you. You know your worth, what you put your time into you’re passionate about. And you do your best to help. That’s why people listen to you. You’re always trying, we can rely on you. Remember when we found Chocolina as kids? You calmed her down because you’re you. That’s your power, Kairi.”

She buried her face against his chest. It was difficult to stop herself from doing it. With all of what he said, she couldn’t help but try to find some alternative. When they needed her most — her voice couldn’t reach them, but she was trying now. That meant something, didn’t it? Sora’s infectious cheer, all of his positive-thinking, it might have been rubbing off on them for awhile now. As much as she wanted to be upset with herself, she wanted to take this chance even more.

Riku’s hand settled against her shoulder, strong and unyielding, but gentle as he pulled back from her. His blue-green eyes softened, fingers curling beneath her chin to tilt her head up. Concern stole his smile and his thumb swiped under her eye, smearing a tear against her skin. She sniffed and offered him a smile as her hand came up to cup the back of his own.

“So what if you’re not one of the ones in the story. I never was really into the damsel in distress type anyway.”

Kairi covered her mouth hurriedly, a snort that was definitely unprincess-like left them both sputtering in laughter. Riku leant down and his forehead pressed to hers as they laughed and smiled. If a few tears slipped past then neither of them mentioned it. Only wiping it away with the crooks of fingers and a reassuring glance. Her hand slipped into Riku’s again and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

“But if it bothers you, I’ll stop calling you that,” he promised, and she knew that he meant it.

The walk from beneath the bridge was slower and as they approached the other side of the sands, Kairi glanced up at him.

“Riku?”

He gave a soft hum, his head turned the other way, eyes focused on the ramshackle doorway which led to the other part of the island. She wondered what he was thinking. Would it have been the race he had with Sora? Or when they were finally putting the last touches on their raft.

“… Be my prince?”

His hold on her hand tightened considerably and absently, Kairi had to wonder if he was holding back his real strength all the time. His head whipped around and in the scarlet sunrays, she could see the faint touch of pink in his cheeks. “What?”

She tipped her head to one side, feigning innocence with a small smile. “Too much?”

“W- I mean…” Riku sputtered, and Kairi tried her best not to laugh. It wasn’t often that she saw him at a loss for words or this shy. He lifted a hand, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m not really the prince type, Kairi.”

“Of course you are,” she insisted, feeling just a bit of payback was in order along with honesty. “You’re kind and patient, and you always come to the rescue when you’re needed. Besides, I feel safe around you.”

With each trait listed off, Riku seemed to grow more and more shy. She wanted to pull him into another hug and assure him that it was true. All of the words she was speaking, the meaning behind them, they were absolutely true. Riku always thought the worst of himself and although she knew he was changing to begin with — this wasn’t what she wanted.

He didn’t deserve to suffer for his mistakes forever.

“If you’re really set on having a prince, save that spot for Sora.”

Kairi’s eyes widened as the name fell from Riku’s lips. He didn’t shy away from speaking about Sora in matters of finding him or the deeds he committed for the sake of the worlds. But on their own, in times when it was only them, he seemed to dance around speaking his name as if he was unworthy of saying it. His hand fell from the back of his neck, hanging loosely at his side as he gazed northward past the broken fence partly submerged where it hung off from the shores and dipped into the ocean.

Kairi followed his line of sight and for a second, she could imagine Sora hopping along the posts while they urged him to be careful. His sunny grin wet when he accidentally slipped and fell into the water, splashing about in surprise. Riku ran after him without hesitation and Kairi returned to the treehouses to grab a few of the sheets to help them dry off after. She squeezed his fingers again as the memory faded along with Sora’s laughter.

“Then what are you?” She asked, turning her gaze back to Riku. He surprised her, constantly. Always deflecting positive affirmations to someone else. She knew that he didn’t mean to. That he was trying to stay within the lines that he’d set and not stray from them. Time would help them both but she wasn’t sure what all was needed. How far did they have to go before they could be together without feeling guilty again.

Riku shrugged, sheepish but receptive as he glanced toward her. A pride in his eyes that reminded her of the boy who proclaimed they’d leave their home world with a simple call of ‘Let’s go’.

“The knight who keeps you both safe.”

Kairi shook her head, tugging lightly on their hands. “We keep each other safe, Riku,” she chided gently, tipping her head skyward. “And we’ll save our prince and then…”

“Happily ever after.”

Kairi looked to him in surprise, the vague amusement showing in his eyes as he laced their fingers together then turned his gaze skyward.

“Yeah,” she echoed back as she stared at him numbly, then turned her gaze upward once more. “Happily ever after…”

[jolienjoyswriting]

The Maiden in the Mist (ft. Riku (the-minuscule-task), Ch. III

Chapter 3 of 4 for "The Maiden in the Mist," a fan fiction story.

Riku gets Joseph alone in her tea room.  And then… they have tea?

Word count: 2,969 – Character count: 17,117 Drafted: April 5th, 2023 Revised: April 6th, 2023 –

"Wah~!  What are we gonna do on the straw mat~?"

Honestly, this whole story was inspired by a certain drawing Task did… which I'm inclined not to share here for "content" reasons. (Said drawing happened in Chapter 2.)  But, beyond that… I definitely fell in love with an Eastern dragon~

Riku and related characters and concepts created by and © the-minuscule-task Joseph Lithius and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    The dragon girl was standing in the main area, patiently waiting for me.  It was odd seeing her dressed, but I really liked what she wore: a simple, Japanese-style kimono gown, colored like – and covered in etchings of – cherry blossoms!  I'd later find out she had more casual clothing like a hoodie and slacks but never mind.     Continuing, she wore her long hair in a low bun, held in place by chopsticks, and there was a flower-shaped barrette on the right side of her hair.  I think it was a barrette, anyway – it seemed to be holding her bangs away from her face.  It was cute, but she was beautiful.

    "Ah!"     She spotted me and waved.     "Kitsune-san!" she called, drawing attention to herself.  "Kite, kite!"     I felt a little embarrassed as I walked over.  People were looking at us.  Guess she didn't seem to mind being a spectacle.  Me, though… I generally liked to keep a low profile.     "Redī?" she asked, sounding chipper.     "R-ready…" I shyly said. "Retsu go!!"

    I continued to blush as she escorted me up to the second floor of the building.  Before long, we encountered a metal door.  She smiled at me, reaching into her tail's plume and retrieving another key.  She opened that door, then she walked in and opened a sliding door beyond that.  I peeked inside where she was standing…  That little "airlock" was, seemingly, a bathroom with a sink and a toilet.  Finally, she stood aside, letting me into the room beyond.     I walked inside, looking at a pretty, traditional Japanese room.  Directly in front of me was a low table with seating cushions on either side.  The cushions had chair backs, too.  I could see a small area near the window at the other end of the room with two regular chairs and another small table.  To the right appeared to be some storage space.  Further ahead on that same wall was a small television and a small air refrigerator.  There wasn't anything of note on the left wall save for the remote for the in-room air conditioning.  Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting when I walked in.  Don't get me wrong, the room was nice enough.  It just… wasn't a bedroom like I'd expected.  It was more like a waiting room.  I guess the cashier lied about lodging and breakfast, too…  Even so, it was a nice enough room, I suppose.

    I heard the sliding door click behind me.  When I turned around, I noticed that the dragon girl was blushing and smiling at me.  Her eyes were innocent, again, but there was a definite excitement to them.  She clearly liked the idea of having me in her room.     I pulled out my cell phone, saying something into it.  She cocked her head when the phone asked her "What are you up to?" or "What's going on?" in Japanese.     "Nani?" was the answer I got back.  So, I tried again.     "What are we going to do in this room?" my phone interpreted for me.     The girl blushed, her tail wagging a little.  She then gestured to the little table.  As I sat down on one side, she walked over and reached down to a little plate of things that I'd somehow not noticed.  It looked like… a small teapot, two serving cups, and maybe some kind of small cylinder?  I curiously watched as she took the black cylinder into her hands and opened it.  She used her other hand and opened the teapot, pouring some leaves from the cylinder in, then she picked the pot up and headed to the bathroom.  Not long after, she returned.

    "Tī," she said in Engrish.  "Mattete kudasai."     I more or less understood what she was saying.  She wanted me to wait for the tea to… steep?  Is that the right word?  I figured it wouldn't be long before my sensitive nose picked up on the scent of hot tea leaves in any case.  I didn't like tea… but I liked the idea of spending more time with a very lovely lady.  And so, I smiled.

    "'Riku'."     "Sorry?"     As we waited for the water to become tea, the lady got my attention, again.     "'Riku'," she repeated, pointing at herself.  "Riku…?  Etooo…?"     When she gestured my way, I smiled and wagged my tail.     "Josefu," I answered, pronouncing my name in a Japanese dialect.     Riku giggled and nodded.  "Yozefu-san…"  Something about the way she pronounced my name made me blush.  There was a sweetness to it that I can't explain…     After a moment of reflection, Riku reached into her tail plume and retrieved something.  It was a cell phone not unlike my own.     "Hello, Joseph!" the phone said as it translated her words.  She had spoken energetically, but the phone had spoken plainly.  Still, I got the subtext.     I smiled, blushing as I spoke into my phone.  "Hello, Riku!" it said back in Japanese.     She blushed, herself, starting to giggle.  "I like you…"     I blushed more and smiled.  "I-I like you, too!"     She was having a hard time staying calm.  I could practically see hearts bubbling off her head as she blushed hard and smiled brightly.

    "Hey…  I… wanted to apologize for before."     She perked, looking confused.  "What do you mean?" her phone translated for me.     "When I walked into the spring, I wasn't expecting to see you…"     She cocked her head, confused.     "It's a public hot spring," her phone said for her as she smiled.     "No, I mean I didn't mean to walk in on you during a… p-private moment."     When my phone relayed my message – without hesitation or stuttering, of course – she cocked her head the other way.     "It's a public hot spring," she repeated through her phone.  "I don't understand."     I typed something on my phone… then slid it over.  It had translated my silent word without saying it.  When she read the characters for "jii" and "kōi"… Riku's face turned bright red.  She didn't say anything… but she was typing something.  A lot of something.  I bit my lip a little, feeling incredibly tense.  What was she writing…?  A novel?

    After about a minute, she slid her phone over, still blushing like crazy.  I picked up the phone and began reading… only to keep blushing.  She had described how much she liked standing in that warm water, completely bare.  She went on to say how good the warm steam felt on her scales.  Actually, the word she used was "caressed" or "stroked" – something more sensual, b-but with the same basic meaning.  I politely handed the phone back, tilting my head as, almost immediately, she started typing something else.  When she handed it back over, my ears fell and I blushed even more.  W… wow.  Okay.  That was… a lot.

    I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate me sharing this… but for the sake of storytelling, I'll share.  In her second message, she went into detail… great detail… about how wonderful it felt to do what she was doing in places like that.  She specifically clarified that she was not an exhibitionist.  She just really enjoyed herself at the hot springs!  Apparently, this was something she did regularly…

    I looked up, my face so red that even my fur couldn't hide it.  I'd bitten my lip as I read the final translated sentence: she wasn't an exhibitionist… but she did get a little excited when I'd caught her…  Her face was red through her scales, too.  Guess that innocent lizard lady wasn't so innocent, after all.  Things were tense, again, as she then gingerly drew her phone back over…     "E-e-etooo…" she stammered, "A-anata wa watashi ga warui hitoda to wa omoi…?"     She hadn't said that to her translation app so I had no idea what she'd said.  However… I had a feeling she was asking me if I was judging her.     "Everyone is different," I said, forgetting my phone existed.  "Sh… shouganai…"     She covered her mouth, continuing to blush.  Tears were starting to show in her eyes…     "W-wait.  No," I said, "that came out wrong."     She huffed and whimpered a little.  Did she think I hated her, now?  She was definitely going to cry…     "Riku, I…"     I paused.  Words weren't gonna cut it.  I got up and scrambled over to her.  When I wrapped my arms around her shoulders from behind… she immediately relaxed and leaned into me as best as she could.  There was a chair-back thing in our way, after all.     "Yozefu-san…"     She softly purred my name, calmly breathing.     "Riku…"     I quietly purred hers, just holding the sensitive girl close.     "Kissu me?"     "Gladly…"     I gently turned her head toward mine, then I nuzzled her nose before softly kissing her on the lips.  When she grabbed my head, I had to lean on her to keep from falling over.  I guess she'd really wanted that kiss.

    I blushed a little as she started to stand.  My heart was thumping as the girl towered over me, arching her neck and continuing to hold my head… and the kiss.  She wasn't purring anymore, but she was humming softly… sweetly…  I stepped forward, getting closer.  She reciprocated, letting her arms find their way around my shoulders as mine found her waist.  We kissed for a little while longer… then we paused to breathe.     "Yozefu-san…"     She kissed my forehead and giggled.     "Sankku yū…"     I couldn't stop purring as she held me.  Her body was warmer than before and I could hear her heart softly beating as she sweetly purred back…  I didn't know what was going on, exactly… and I didn't care.  I just… wanted to stay like that.  With her.  Forever…  Eventually, though, we let ourselves part and returned to the table.

    Things became tense, again, as she served us some tea.  We couldn't stop glancing at each other… couldn't stop blushing.  Something was happening and neither of us seemed to want to bring it up.  I could see such fondness in her curious eyes… and I'm sure she'd noticed the warm way I kept watching her.  Luckily, the instant I tried to take a sip of that tea…     "Ehn…"     My face instinctively scrunched.     "Dō shita no…?" she quietly asked, the tension breaking instantly.     "I don't like tea…" I said, softly laughing.     "Mm…"     She shook her head before tapping my cell phone.  I repeated myself, letting my translator app explain.     "Ah…!"     And she immediately bowed.

    "G-g-gomen'nasai…!" she cried as she scrambled back to her feet.  "Omowanakatta!  Jūsu wa ikagadesu ka…?  M-matawa sōda?"     I actually got "juice" and "soda" out of that.  However…     "Eeeeeh…?!"     Instead of answering her… I took the cup of tea and pressed it back against my lips, politely sipping.     "You made this tea for us to drink," my phone translated for me.  "It would be really rude if I didn't try!"     "Ch-ch-ch-chottomatte…!" she said, still standing by the miniature fridge.  "H-h-honkidesu ka?!"     I took a rather wild guess as to what she was saying, and I told her… "Honkidesu…"     She stared at me like I'd gone mad.  Did I say something stupid…?     "W-wait…"     My ears fell back.  Her hands were back over her snout and she was starting to cry again.

    "Did I do something wrong…?" I asked through my phone, genuinely confused.     She shook her head, bursting out with a single laugh.  She sat back down, then, and offered me a warm, beautiful smile.     "Suītto boy…" she said, trying to stay relatively calm.  "Sankku yū…"     "Riku…  You're acting like no one's ever had tea with you before."     She perked, listening to my phone translate for me.  When it finished, she softly smiled and took her phone into her hand.     "You don't like tea," her phone said for her, "but you're still willing to drink with me.  You are kind and sweet…"     "You're the one who's kind and sweet!" I answered with a smile.  "You made tea for a person you just met!"     "I like you very much…" she shyly told me.  Her phone didn't pick up on the way she said it, of course… but I could tell from how she said "Watashi wa anata ga totemo sukidesu…"     "And I like you!"     "Aaaaah!  Sugoi…!"  She beamed as she told me, "Anata ga subarashīdesu…"     Her phone hadn't caught that… but I did.  "You, too…" I whispered back.

    We continued to idly converse through our phones as we sipped the tea she'd prepared.  I'm not sure what kind it was…  It was weedy, though… grassy.  I tried not to make too many faces as we emptied the pot, but she noticed… and she giggled.  Well, at least she was amused…

    It was completely dark outside by the time we'd emptied the teapot.  I stretched and sighed, offering another soft smile to my companion.  She blushed and smiled back.     "I wish there was a bed in here," I idly whispered, "so I could cuddle you like crazy…"     I kept smiling… until I heard something.     "Koko ni beddo ga areba īnoni, anata o muchū ni dakishime rarerunoni."     My eyes widened and my smile became stiff.  I couldn't stop staring at the blushing lizard woman sitting across from me.  Apparently… my phone had heard me speak… and felt obligated to translate it for me.  Which meant… she understood every last word of what I just said.     "Ch-ch-chottomatte…!" I cried in Japanese, "I didn't mean–"     "Uesu."     I stared in astonishment.  "Wh… what?  Nani?"     "Retsu dū itto!" she exclaimed with a big, bright smile.  "Hōruddo me… kissu me… nevā retto mī go…!"     "I… w… wha–"     "Jāsutto kiddingu!!"     The girl in the kimono furiously giggled, largely amused by her own joke.  When I started to smile in return, though…     "But seriously, I want it much."     She let her phone translate her words… and blushed, shyly looking away.  I was pretty sure that was a mistranslation.  But… at the same time… well…

    We anxiously moved the low table and cushion chairs from the middle of the room.  A second later, we sat on the straw mat, sharing soft, nervous smiles.  Things seemed so much easier when we were naked, somehow…  Eventually, we laid next to each other, face-to-face, and we drew inward.  It was only after cuddling up that we started to relax again…

    "Kawaii…"     "Mm…?"     I smiled, leaning back to look at her.  "Kawaii ryuusei…" I whispered.     For those keeping track, I accidentally called her a shooting star instead of a dragon.  Yeah, oopsie.  Even so, she blushed hard and giggled… then she kissed me.  Just like that.  So… I kissed her back.  And once again… we found ourselves sharing a long, meaningful kiss as we lay there in her room on the straw mat.     "Sekkuretto…"     "Hm?"     She nuzzled my cheek as I paid attention.  "Sekkuretto…" she whispered again.     I smiled, nuzzling back with a purr…  "Yes?"     Her face warmed until it was red.  "A… anata…"     I started to blush a little.  She seemed so tense…  I softly stroked her cheek and she calmed a little.  Then, she whispered… softly… sweetly…     "A-anata ga sugoku suki…"

    I didn't know how to respond… mostly because I wasn't sure what she said.  I knew that "suki" could mean "love"… but it could also mean "like".  And given her body language and general composure throughout the night… I was pretty certain she meant the second one.  I softly bumped noses with her and warmly looked into her eyes.     "Suki…" I whispered.  "Suki desu…"     She giggled… then she started laughing.  Oh, boy…     "Suki desu ka?" she asked, still softly laughing.  "Suka reru no wa sukidesu ka?"     I was pretty sure I'd said something silly.  She definitely wouldn't have laughed that much, otherwise…     "Translation, please?" I asked, leaning back to grab one of our phones from the displaced table.  "Toransurētto, purīzu?"     I tried to offer her phone… but she just rubbed her nose against mine, smiling.     "Suki…" she purred.  "Suki, suki, suki…"     I wasn't sure why she was repeating that one word over and over again, but…     "S… suki," I whispered back, fondly pressing my nose to hers.  "Suki, suki, suki…?"     "Aaaaah!"  She cried out, beaming.  "Kawaiiiii kitsune-san!"     Without any warning, she pulled me into another rough kiss.  Her claws were running through the fur on my head and she was holding me pretty tightly…  I guess I'd said the right thing.  Or… the wrong thing in the right way?

    "Suki…"     After our kiss, she purred into my cheek, resting her head under mine.  I softly breathed as I ran my dull claws through her hair.  I liked holding her.  She was so soft… plus, our height difference didn't matter since we were lying at eye level, anyway.     "Suki desu ka?" she quietly asked, looking at me with warm eyes.     "Suki desu…" I answered with a smile.     "Kawaii…"  She put her head back down, closing those pretty eyes of hers.  "Sugoi…"

    As we lay there holding one another in that hot spring guest room, I started to wonder… was that all Riku wanted?  Someone to hold?  Someone to hug?  Someone to kiss and caress?  Was she just a lonely girl looking for love…  Or… was I a special case?  Maybe she felt obligated because I caught her… w-with her hand in the cookie– no, that's terrible…!  You know what I mean!  Still… was it an obligation thing?  Was she satisfied with cuddling?  Or had she genuinely wanted to give herself to me?  Maybe it was something in between?  Maybe… maybe it really was love…

    As I lay there wondering, I slowly started to nod off.  Riku was purring again, and it was extremely relaxing.  I didn't want to… but regardless of what I wanted, I wound up falling asleep right there on the straw mat, held by a big, adorable lizard lady who seemed pretty fond of me.

    I couldn't have asked for a better end to my night…

[jolienjoyswriting]

The Maiden in the Mist (ft. Riku (the-minuscule-task), Ch. II

Chapter 2 of 4 for "The Maiden in the Mist," a fan fiction story.

When Joseph finds him faced with a language barrier, his new dragon friend finds a most unexpected way around it.

Word count: 2,898 – Character count: 16,524 Drafted: April 5th, 2023 Revised: April 6th, 2023 –

"Kāmu on, bēbī, kisu mī!  Moh-moh-moh-moh-moh~!"

Incidentally, the name of this story came about because I'm jolly well addicted to Bones, innit. (Almost every episode name follows a "X Preposition the Y" format, so…)

Riku and related characters and concepts created by and © the-minuscule-task Joseph Lithius and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    Okay, maaaybe I jumped to conclusions…  Maybe she wasn't a dragon.  Maybe she was just some other kind of lizard lady.  She did look kind of like a dragon from Eastern mythos, though.  At the very least, she was anything but ordinary.  She was really beautiful.

    The woman stood knee-deep in the waters of the hot spring, taking in the warmth and the mist that surrounded her.  She had golden horns that were maybe about a foot long?  They were kind of faintly Z-shaped, pointy, and segmented with a trio of rings.  The woman's hair was dark green in color, some falling over her shoulders with most of it draping along her back and coming to rest just above her tail.  On that topic, her tail had a wide stripe of fur that ran down to a soft-looking plume at the tip, all of it as dark and lovely as the hair on her head.  I suddenly wondered how far the other way the fur went…     As I continued to look at the woman, I noticed that her body was covered in light green scales.  From where I was, though, it just looked like "skin".  She had a strong, slender, feminine form, a long neck, and average-sized hips with very lovely legs.  I couldn't see much more of her, though.  She was holding her tail in one arm, conveniently covering her chest.  Her other hand, though…  Her… her other hand…  O-oh.  Oh, gosh.     My face burned under my fur and my eyes widened.  I hadn't noticed until just then… but that woman wasn't simply standing there.  Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were a faint shade of pink.  I could hear her panting a little, too.  And that hand?  It was, uh… b-between her legs, let's say?  You can probably guess what it was doing there, too…

    When I looked back up, I noticed that the girl was looking at me through one half-open eye.  She… er… "tended to herself" for a few seconds more… then, as if just realizing someone was there, both of her eyes shot open and her face turned bright red.  I froze in place, unsure of what to do.  She seemed frozen, too, still clutching her tail while the other hand stayed right where it was.  I couldn't help but look into her startled eyes.     "Etooo…"     She spoke in a soft, almost innocent tone.  That, in itself, was surprising.  I was completely prepared for her to scream…     "Gomen'nasai!"     She never screamed.  She just yelped an apology before making a fast break for the women's locker room.  However…     "Hey– wait!"     I grabbed her tail as she ran by… and immediately got pulled off my feet!  She was strong!  However, I didn't stay airborne long.  I let go of her tail… and fell forward, faceplanting hard against the stone.  Ouch…

    "Anata wa daijōbu?!"

    When I managed to regain my senses, I dizzily looked up…     "Hnnngh…"     I quickly shook my head, trying to clear the daze.  Once I did, I realized what I was looking at.  The lizard lady had stopped running and came back to check on me.  And man… she got close to my face.  Those big, innocent eyes of hers looked like dinner plates, too!  I guess she was really worried about me.

    "Etooo…" I said, knowing that was the Japanese equivalent of a stammer.  "Daijōbu…"     "'Daijōbu'…?" she echoed, sounding surprised.     I nodded, gently sitting up on my knees.  Honestly, my face hurt…!  I don't think my nose was bleeding, though.     "Yokatta!"     I looked up… and almost jumped back, startled.  That lizard girl's face had gotten intimately close to mine!  She looked happy, though… probably relieved that I hadn't hurt myself.  That really was stupid, grabbing her tail like that…

    I offered a smile as I stood.  She looked up with big, innocent eyes, softly blinking.  I was watching her watch me…     "Watashi wa amari nihongo o shirimasen," I told her.  "Gomen'nasai."     She blinked again.  Then, she tilted her head.     "Eigo," I said, trying to tell her I spoke only English.  "In-gu-ri-sshu."     "'In-gu-ri-sshu' desu?" she asked, repeating what I'd said exactly as I'd said it.     I nodded.  She nodded back.  Wait… was she just imitating me?     "Gomen'nasai…" I said, rubbing my arm.     Her head tilted the other way.  Then, she slowly stood.  W… whoa…  She was tall!

    The lizard… dragon… lady thing rose to her full height, easily standing more than a head taller than me.  I'm about five-foot-eight, so she must have been close to seven feet fall – not including her horns.  My eyes wandered a little…  As I'd assumed, her body was slightly toned – especially in the leg area.  She also… uh… wasn't very buxom?  Is… is that polite enough?  I… she– she had a very "conservative" curvature in her chest area.  N-nothin' wrong with that…

    "Ah!"

    I jolted as she gasped.  I took a step back, then, as she crouched on the balls of her feet.  Something had caught her attention.     "Reddoroketto!" she said, staring at my… crotch.  Oh.     "Wh-what?"     I looked down… then I burst into a blush.  My towel was missing – probably knocked off when she pulled me off my feet.  More embarrassingly, though… she was absolutely correct about what she saw.  Oh, geez…     I fidgeted a little, rooted to the spot as the lady stared at my lap.  She reached out with a hand, gently poking me with one of her claws.  When she looked back up, I just nervously smiled.  Those innocent eyes of hers were equal parts disarming… and alarming.     "Itai no?" she asked.  I think?     "I don't know what that means…" I answered.     When she tilted her head again, I got the feeling we weren't going to be doing much communicating…  There was a language barrier between us, clearly.     I blinked as the lady got back up.  When she took my hand into hers, I just blushed even more.  She was leading me back into the locker area…  Worse still, she was bringing me into the women's side!  I almost told her not to, but I realized she wouldn't understand, so I just… let her.

    "Chottomattekudasai!"

    Now, as I'd mentioned… I didn't know much conversational Japanese.  However, I'd watched enough dubbed anime to recognize that.  She was either telling me or asking me to wait.  So, I waited.  I waited, and I watched.  I watched her walk over and gather a few towels into her arms.  I then watched as she walked over to a nearby outcropping… or seating area… and set them down.  My gaze started to wander as she did whatever she was doing.  Funny enough… the women's locker area wasn't much different from the men's.  The only real difference was that it seemed mirrored or inverted when compared to the men's lockers…

    "Junbi!"

    I blinked, my ears flicking.  That mysterious lizard lady had spoken again, her tone cheerful and merry.  When I looked back over, though… I went wide-eyed again.  The dragon girl had found a spot on the bench… and taken quite a pose!     I stared at the woman, my heart racing as she sat on the long bench.  There were towels between her and the wall, working as a kind of cushion for her to rest against.  Her legs were tucked in slightly, partly hanging off the bench, and her tail was to one side.  Those legs of hers were also spread wide open…  Between that and the placement of her hands on her thighs, it was pretty obvious she was… u-uh… well… "presenting" herself to me?  I just didn't know why…

    "Kitsune-san?"

    I snapped out of my daze, looking up.  I noticed that she was looking at me with those big, innocent eyes, again.     "Junbi dekimashita…" she softly told me.  "O mata se shinaide kudasai!"     Language barrier be damned…  I didn't need to understand a word of what that girl was saying to know what she wanted.  Between her soft tone and provocative pose, I could tell that she wanted… well… me!  I didn't know what to make of it…

    I slowly walked over to the dragon lady, my ears twitching and my cheeks burning.  I'm not gonna lie…  My body wanted hers.  Her body seemed to want me, too.  She still had the soft fragrance of… uh… l-let's call it "womanhood"… lingering on her body.  It seemed like my trip to Japan was about to go somewhere I never anticipated…  That is… until I noticed something.

    I paused, standing close to the woman.  As I looked down, I noticed that she was starting to blush.  It wasn't a sweet, shy blush, though.  It was the blush of someone who wasn't entirely comfortable with their situation.  On top of that, her innocent eyes… were showing uncertainty.  Her body might have been ready for what she was suggesting… but it was pretty clear that her heart wasn't.  Worse still, the longer I stared… the more uncomfortable she seemed to get.  Eventually, though, she broke the tension with more words I didn't understand.     "A-anata wa nani o ma– matteimasu ka…?"     She gestured downward with her head.     "Anata no besuto o tsukushite kudasai…"     I continued to stare, watching the girl squirm.  She didn't seem anxious for us to be intimate anymore.  She seemed just plain anxious…  Seeing her so uncomfortable affected me…  And no, I don't mean a physical one.  Though, I probably lost my… ah, never mind.

    "No."

    The dragon jolted.  All at once, she moved her hands away from her crotch and sat up.     "No…?" she cried.  She definitely knew what that meant.  "Nazena no?"     I was about to explain when I noticed something else…  Her face was turning stormy.     "W-wait.  Don't do th–"     But it was too late.  She brought her hands over her face and began sobbing.  Quietly.  Thank goodness it wasn't a "big ugly cry".  Still… she was crying… over being rejected, seemingly.  I couldn't let her feel that way…

    "Miss…"     I sat next to her, being careful of her tail.     "Miss, it's not that I don't want to…  It's more than I don't know you…  I'm sure you're lots of fun…!"     I almost added, "In bed".  Thankfully, I had more tact than that.     "B-but, I'm not the kind of person who has 'casual encounters' with people I just met…  I… oh, why am I bothering…  You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"     The girl peeked through her fingers, calming slightly as I sighed.     "You know what?"  I smiled.  "Actions speak louder than words.  Here."     Not knowing what else to do, I leaned up and kissed her cheek.  Yeah… it was boneheaded, I know.  But, hey.  It worked.  The girl stopped crying entirely!  I almost started to smile… until I noticed the look on her face.     Her eyes seemed to shrink and she looked at me like I'd just done something horrible.  Her mouth opened to say something.  Instead, though, she winced back, pulling her legs up and hiding her face again.  I was positive she was going to scream, that time.  But…     "Wa… watashi ga… su… s-sukidesu?"     I was wrong.

    Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning.  Again, my knowledge of anime was paying off.  However, I wish she hadn't asked me that.  I didn't know what to say to "You love me?"…

    "I…"  I paused, then I swallowed hard before telling her, "Yeah.  I do."     She looked at me with newfound awe, blushing as we sat there side-by-side… naked in the women's lockers.  I smiled at her, my tail wagging.  I wasn't lying.  I did like her.  I thought she was interesting, at the very least.  And beautiful…  Really beautiful.  She was the most beautiful… most innocent thing I'd ever seen.  I wanted to see her smile.  I wanted to be the one who helped her smile.  And… it seemed like I was on the right path for that, too.

    "Mm– hey…  Hee hee…"

    I blushed a little more as the taller woman draped one arm around me and pulled me into her embrace.  She was… colder than I'd expected.  However, I was happy to wrap my arms around her and hold her close.  When she started purring, so did I.  When she nuzzled between my ears, I nuzzled into her collarbone.  Then, when she let her snout run across my ear… I shivered… and I let my tongue taste her neck.     "Mmm…"     She giggled and squirmed in response.  Another good sign…

    "Oi…"     I leaned back as she got my attention.  There was a twinkle in her innocent eyes and a smile on her draconic muzzle.  She looked even more beautiful than before…     "Oi…" she repeated.     There was a certain uncertainty to her face… like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure she should.  Eventually, though, she asked me something that I wasn't ready for.     "D… dū yū… uantto…"     She gulped, her face getting redder.     "U-uantto…" she continued in horribly fractured Engrish.     "W-want to…?" I repeated, blushing a little myself.     She nodded.  Then… she whispered two more words…     "K-kisu me…?"     I almost forgot myself, right then and there.  I wanted, so badly, to just blurt out "God, yes" and smooch her soft, inviting snout with all my might!  I'm sure she sensed that, too, considering she shifted and blushed even harder.  However… being the gentleman that I am – don't– don't laugh – I just warmly smiled and reached up, stroking her cheek.  As she closed her eyes and leaned into it, I whispered back…     "Yes…"

    The girl flinched as I spoke… but she leaned forward.  Her lips pursed and she blushed harder still.  She wasn't hesitant about letting things happen, I'll give her that.  Even so, I didn't take advantage of her generosity.  Instead, I gave her another little peck on the cheek.

    She snapped out of her shy state long enough to give me a perplexed look.  Then…     "No, no, no!"     She raised her hand, pressing her finger against my lips… then against hers.     "Kisu me!" she exclaimed, sounding confused.  "Kiiisu!  Wakarimasu?"     I leaned in and kissed her nose.  She looked at me again, growing visibly frustrated while still a little red-faced.     "Kiiiiisu!!" she said in an adorable, raised voice.  "Kisu me, bakana kitsune-san!"     "No," I teased with a grin and a wag of my tail.  "You kiss me, kawaii ryuu-chan!"     She hid her face, quietly screaming in frustration and shaking her head.  She was losing patience with me fast.  Either that, or she couldn't believe I'd tried to turn things around on her.  Either way, she quickly calmed back down and kind of angrily pouted at me, still blushing.

    "Rukku, damī!"     I grinned as she grabbed me by the shoulders.  I was "rooking", alright.     "Kisu!  Kiiisu!" she squeaked.  "Kono yō!"     My eyes shot open again as the dragon girl pulled me up and into a hard kiss.  Honestly… I wasn't sure who was blushing more, at that point.  Her, out of sheer embarrassed frustration… or me because the kiss took me by surprise.

    "Sh-shī…?"  She leaned back, continuing to blush like crazy.  "Ī-īshī…"     I couldn't stop myself from nervously giggling.  I kind of wish I had, though…     "Nani ga son'nani omoshiroi?!"     I think I ticked her off…

    She continued to look at me, her brow furrowed down and her eyes locked on mine.  I couldn't tell what was going through her mind in the slightest.  Was she offended?  Was she upset?  Did she just want me to kiss her that badly?  I genuinely had no idea…     "I… heh."  My ears flicked and I smiled skittishly.  "I just…"     "Boisu…"     I blinked.  All at once, the lady went from looking upset… to being amused.  She rolled her eyes and offered me a smile, then she leaned in and nuzzled my muzzle, pulling me back into her lap and a hug.  I was happy to hug back, too.  She was so sweet…

    I'm sure we must have spent a lot of time just sitting there, enjoying each other's company.  I say that because, by the time I managed to look back outside, I noticed that it was getting dark.  I started to sit up, prepared to leave… but the lovely lady pulled me back in.     "Sutē…" she whispered.     I looked up… and I noticed those big, innocent eyes pleading with me.     "Purīzu?" she asked in an even sweeter tone.     She was asking me to say with her… begging, almost.  "I…"     She nuzzled me, softly purring…  "Heya ga arimasu," she said, knowing I wouldn't know what she was saying.     "I don't know what–"     "Etooo… 'a rūmu'…?" she tried to explain.  Wait.  Was she telling me she had a room?     I hesitated for a moment… before I softly nodded.  "Y… yeah.  O-okay."     The girl squeaked with excitement before kissing me on the forehead.  She set me aside, then, and stood up, walking over to a random locker.  As she opened it with a key she seemingly had hidden in her tail's plume, she looked my way and smiled.     "Shūshū," she said, politely waving me away.  "Soto de aimashou!"     I didn't quite understand her, but I nodded.  I went back to the spring and returned to the men's locker room.  I dressed as quickly as I could, wondering what she had in mind.  After I put the locker key back, I walked over to the entrance leading into the main building.  And that's when I saw her, again…

[jolienjoyswriting]

The Maiden in the Mist (ft. Riku (the-minuscule-task), Ch. I

Chapter 1 of 4 for "The Maiden in the Mist," a fan fiction story.

Joseph meets a maiden under unusual circumstances.  The circumstances only get more unusual from there.

Word count: 3,280 – Character count: 18,507 Drafted: April 5th, 2023 Revised: April 6th, 2023 –

Who is the maiden in the mist?  Tune in next week to– no, I'm kidding.  Come back on Tuesday you find out.

Joseph Lithius and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    Hiya.  Name's "Joseph".  I'm a fox who likes to travel.  What's weird, though, is that when I travel… I tend to end up in odd situations, meeting odd people…

    Today's story starts when I decided to go to Japan.  I'd been studying the culture of Japan for years – which is to say, watching anime, meme videos, and yes, occasionally looking into its actual history and people.  I'd always wanted to go; it seemed like such a magical, lovely place!  And so, when I was able to get the time off from work… I took a couple weeks and finally made the plunge.

    I arrived at Osaka International Airport, then I took a bus to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen railway.  The countryside was absolutely gorgeous…  I'd never seen so much nature before!  I was kind of sad when I arrived in Kyoto, but I knew I'd see more of it later on.     As I stepped off the train and looked around, I was a little surprised by how many buildings there were.  Osaka had plenty of tall business buildings, and I knew Tokyo did, too, but I wasn't very familiar with Kyoto.  I'd heard it leaned more toward residential blocks, actually… and as I left the heart of the city?  Well, it turned out I was right!     You wouldn't believe how many little houses with tiled roofs there were in the suburbs of Kyoto!  Plus, a lot of them had multiple floors and almost all of them seemed to be on hills!  Seriously.  You know those old people's stories about "going uphill both ways''?  In a place like Kyoto… I could believe it!  Despite the verticality of it all, though, it was just so… so… cozy!  I was in absolute awe, being able to walk around the stonework roads that led around the hills, admiring the houses and architecture…

    At some point, I went into a small convenience store.  I was greeted with the usual "Irasshaimase!" and nodded in return.  When I returned to the counter with a soda, I stayed quiet.  I'd studied a little of the language, but I didn't risk embarrassing myself by saying something stupid by mistake.  The clerk seemed to catch that, offering a smile as she rang me up.     "First time in Japan, gaijin-chan?"     Oh.  Right.  I somehow forgot that… English is, basically, taught as a second language in modern Japan.  Well, so much for not embarrassing myself…     "That obvious?" I answered back, shyly smiling as she smirked.     "Have you gone to an onsen yet?"  She paused before explaining, "Onsens are public bathhouses!  There are many in the prefecture and they're sure to relax even a shy, prudish gaijin like you!"     "Wow…"  I couldn't help but smirk back.  "You're assuming a lot of me, aren't you?"     She waved a hand like she was a magician casting a spell.  And… maybe she was.     "You are new to these lands and unsure of what to do," she began.  "You probably don't have a travel guide for the islands and don't know the language or anyone who can help you.  You are like a lost soul in a land where you don't belong."     My ears fell, as did my face.  "Are you telling me to go home…?"     "I am being dramatic…"  The cashier shook her head, letting her brightly highlighted hair wave and sway.  "My point is, I'm offering you a point of interest; a place to start your journey across this beautiful prefecture of Kyoto.  Let me see your cell phone?"     I don't know why… but I went ahead and handed my phone over.  I watched, then, as she opened my GPS app.

    "Ah, here we are!"     She handed it back.  To my surprise, there were several pins in several places throughout the prefecture.  Not as many as I expected, though…     "You like nature, right?"     "What?"  I blinked, my ears flicking.  "Yeah, I like nature.  Why?"     She grinned… then she stole my phone again, tapping one of the icons.     "This place," she said as she handed it back.  "This is where you want to go!"     I looked at the map.  She'd set me on the path to a place called the "Kurama"… which was about 14 kilometers – or 8 miles – away from where we were.     "I go there with my girlfriend all the time!" she said, proudly beaming.  "It has this absolutely beautiful view of the mountainside!  Oh, plus?  They offer overnight stays with breakfast!  I bet a rich gaijin like you would appreciate that."     "Again… assuming a lot," I said with another grin.     She laughed.  "Just do it, gaijin-chan!  What have you got to lose?"     "Maybe I will…"     I nodded to the lady, picked up my cold, canned beverage, and put my phone into my coat pocket.  I paused, then…     "Hey, Miss?"     "Yes, gaijin-chan?"     "Two things…"  I smiled.  "Firstly, thanks for the tip on where to go."     "You're very welcome, gaijin-chan!" she said with a smile and a song in her voice.     "Secondly…"     I leaned in a little, smirking.     "I know what that means."     "Oh, relax, kitsune-chan," she said, softly giggling.  "I'm just having some fun!  Believe me, I mean no disrespect when I call you a 'foreigner'!  It simply is what it is!"     "Oh, geez…"  I rolled my eyes.  "Do they say that over here, too?  'It is what it is'?"     "In Japanese, it's 'shouganai', gaijin-chan."  She smiled again.  "It's a universal saying!"     "'Shouganai'…"  I chuckled.  "I'll remember that, thanks.  See you 'round!"     "Arigatōgozaimasu!" she cheerfully said.  "Mata kite kudasai!"     I actually didn't know what that meant, but I had to assume she said "Come again" or something similar.  For all I knew, though, she was teasing me more…  Shouganai, shouganai…

    Anyway, I spent my full first day in the Kyoto suburbs just walking around and getting a feel for the labyrinthian walkways and stone roads of the area.  I mean… it was a maze to me?  I'm sure if I'd lived there, it would've been far more familiar…  Even so, I enjoyed seeing everything the community had to offer.  It was especially lovely at night.  So serene…     That night, I took in some of the local television.  I laughed my ass off, watching some of the late-night variety shows.  Physical comedy transcends language barriers, for sure!  I also stumbled upon a channel that showed English programming… old shows, specifically.  Honestly, that channel helped me relax and not feel like such a "lost soul".

    The next day, I decided not to go to the bathhouse I was directed to, but rather, I wanted to visit an authentic Shinto shrine.  Oddly enough, there was one not too far from where I was staying.  Honestly, it seemed like everything was pretty close by in Japan…

    I walked along the road until I found the place I was looking for: "Toyokuni Shrine".  As expected, the gate leading into the grounds was massive and ornate, decorated with dark wood architecture and what appeared to be either cobblestone or gravel for roofing.  I looked at what little writing there was to be seen and, of course, couldn't read a thing.  A gentleman was standing at the front gate, situated behind a small desk of sorts.  He greeted me in Japanese and I nodded, walking over.     "Watashi wa amari nihongo o shirimasen," I said to the man – which literally meant I didn't speak much Japanese.  Yeah, I know how ironic that is.  "Gomen'nasai."     "Aaaaah, ya ya ya ya…"  The man waved his hand, patiently smiling.  "Hōkokujinja e yōkoso!  Gaikoku hito demo!"     "O-okay…?"  I just told him I didn't speak Japanese…     Next, he gently nudged a book my way.  I could see that it was filled with signatures.  He likely wanted me to sign in, so I did.  As I started to walk past him, though…     "Oi oi oi – n-nani yatten no yo!"     He stopped me.

    "Tachiirikinshi!" he shouted, shooing me away with one hand.  "Kōtai seyo!"     I got the message.  In case you didn't, though, the shrine was closed to the public, being more of a "landmark" than a tourist attraction.  I probably should've gotten the hint sooner, considering there was no one actually inside the gates…  I quietly apologized with a "Gomen'nasai" and went on my way.

    Truth be told, I didn't have much of a plan for the rest of the day.  Really, I just wanted to visit a shrine and then walk around a bit, but after being yelled at by that one guy, I was far less interested in shrines… so I wound up returning to that convenience store from before.     "Irasshaimase, gaijin-chan!"     And as if by coincidence… that nice lady with colorful hair was working there, again.

    "Hi, again," I said as I walked inside.     "Why the long face, gaijin-chan?"  She smiled as she asked, "Kyoto not as glamorous and sophisticated as you thought?"     "Wow.  Alright…"  I frowned, giving her a look.  "Judgmental, much?"     "Shouganai…" she playfully sighed, casually waving her hand.     "I came specifically to Kyoto because it's not Tokyo or Osaka," I explained as I walked over to a refrigeration unit.  "I wanted to experience a cozy part of Japan."     "Have you gone to the onsen yet?" she asked.     "I thought I'd visit a shrine first."     Her face lit up with excitement.  "I bet you went to Toyokuni-jinja, didn't you?"     When I nodded… she just burst into laughter.     "Oh, gaijin-chan…!  Did you do any research before you went there…?"     She laughed a little more, wiping some tears from her eyes.  I practically slammed my soda down on the counter as I came back.  She was making me mad…     "Aww, don't give me that look, kitsune-chan," she said, offering a sympathetic smile as she rang me up.  "Look, just go to the onsen.  I promise it'll make you feel better."     I didn't feel like talking, so I just nodded and left.

    The next few hours were spent wandering the streets again.  I was somewhat less awed by the sights and sounds of the Kyoto prefecture and its people.  It was still cozy and inviting, sure, but I guess between being yelled at for… I guess trespassing, then having that lady outright laugh at me, I was feeling down.  Eventually, I just headed back to my hotel room.     Once there, I grabbed my laptop computer and started poking around some sites.  I was looking for the perfect shrine to visit.  Unfortunately for me, most of the reviews I found weren't terribly helpful.  I did see a review about the Toyokuni Shrine which specifically mentioned that it wasn't open to visitors, though.  That would've been handy to know…

    After minutes of searching, I gave up, closed my laptop, and flopped onto my bed.     "Maybe I should go to that bathhouse…" I thought aloud.  "That's gotta be open to the public.  I can find another shrine later…"     Not wanting to take any chances, I pulled up the name of the shrine on my phone, then I checked out the reviews for this "Kurama Onsen".  Well… it didn't have a five-out-of-five rating and, apparently, it was pretty pricey to stay at the nearby hotel.  About four hundred dollars for two people…  I started to wonder if I should just give up on the idea…     "No," I told myself, sitting up.  "Don't be like that.  Don't get all mopey and give up so easily.  Yeah, it's expensive, but you're on vacation!  Treat yourself, dammit!"     Sure…  One guy yelled at me and that cashier laughed, but that didn't mean my trip was a bust.  I was determined not to let my usual cloudy disposition ruin my trip to Kyoto.  I was going to that bathhouse.  If it was as amazing as the cashier said… it would all be worth it.

    That evening, I hopped on a train heading north.  Once again, I was treated to pure, untouched nature as the vehicle moved at high speed through the countryside.  I loved all the trees and plant life…  Maybe it was the "fox" in me, longing to return "home".  I chuckled, the thought amusing me.     About an hour later, I arrived at the train station in a rural part of the prefecture.  From there, it was a relatively short walk – about 800 meters or half a mile – so I followed the road further north.  Within 10 minutes, I arrived.

    As I reached a three-way intersection, I noticed a sizable building to my left.  They had a basketball court!  I idly wondered if they were open to the public before I regained my focus.  Directly in front of me was a large sign with some Kanji on it.  And below that?

    "'Kurama Onsen'…"

    It was written in plain English – probably for "gaijin-sans" like me.  I smiled and headed down the path, my tail wagging.

    It was a very short walk from the intersection to the main compound.  There, I found a large, two-story building.  It had a warm look to it with wood paneling and painted tan.  I noticed a little van parked nearby which had a sign.  Again, there were some Japanese characters, but below that was some plain English text…     "'Kurama Onsen Free Bus'?!  Aaauh..."     If I'd known they had free transit, I would've just waited at the bus stop near the train station!  Oh, well…

    I walked into the front door of the onsen.  Right away, I was greeted by a couple of men in black vests.  I softly nodded and smiled, then I told them I didn't speak any Japanese.  In Japanese.  Of course.     "Ah… a tourist!" one of the men said in perfect English.  "Again we say: welcome to the Kurama Onsen!  How may we be of service?"     "I'm here to, uh, you know… see the hot spring?"     "Are you looking for a private spring for yourself?" the other man asked, speaking just as well as the first.  "Or are you looking to share the experience with others?"     "Actually," I said, "I was told your outdoor spring has a nice view of the area?"     They both simultaneously "aaah'd".  I had to stifle a chuckle.     "Right this way, please."

    I followed one of the men through the large main area of the building, admiring the architecture.  The inside was wooden, of course… orangey-yellow, very shiny, and pretty.  There were things on the wall, too, mostly written in Japanese.  Some historical facts were in English – apparently for foreign tourists like me.  I wasn't too interested in Kurama's history, though.  I was more interested in the awesome hot spring!

    "Tell me," the man said, getting my attention, "are you lodging at the nearby hotel?"     "Not right now," I answered, still following the man.     "I see, I see…"  He nodded.  "Then, there is a small fee for the spring.  Is that okay?"     "Of course," I said with a smile.     He stopped as we arrived in what looked to be a locker room of sorts.     "Splendid!"  He smiled back.  "The fee for the outside spring is 1,000 Yen.  There is also a fee for using a locker to store your personal belongings, but it is much smaller.  Only 100 Yen!"     He gestured to one of the lockers.  I could see that it had a key-lock mechanism and a coin-operated slot.  Presumably, it would let me have the key once I put a coin in.     "Is this agreeable?" he politely asked.     "Do I have a choice?" I replied.     The man laughed.  I think he laughed harder than necessary, actually.     "Foreign humor is so funny!" he said, smiling brightly.  "Now, please pay for services rendered, at this time."     I nodded and handed him a 1,000 Yen paper bill.     "Arigatōgozaimasu!"     He accepted the money and gave me… a bracelet?  Okay.     "Please, remember to rinse yourself before using our springs," he said, gesturing to some nearby showers.  "We are at your beck and call.  Have a wonderful time in the spring!"

    With a soft sigh, I walked over to a basket that contained several dry towels.  The man hadn't told me explicitly, but I knew I was supposed to get undressed and put a towel on.  It was probably good that no one was around, on that note…  Regardless, I stripped down, wearing only my glasses, the bracelet, and my olive-gold fur, then I put a towel on around my waist and walked over to the storage lockers.  Popping a coin in did, in fact, give me the key.  I stored my inventory within, then I closed the locker and removed the key.  But then, I realized… what was I supposed to do with the key?  A thought randomly occurred.  Quietly, I undid my bracelet… then I slid the key onto it.     "Maybe that's what it's for…" I commented to myself.  "So I don't lose the key…"     It made sense to me.

    Anyway, once I'd gotten my stuff sorted, I walked over to a nearby shower and took a quick look around.  I felt a little nervous, suddenly.  I'd noticed it when I came in, but the place seemed somewhat empty…  I would've thought a place like that would've been a hot spot – no pun intended – for tourism.  I guess I must have come at a quiet time or something…     My heart raced a little as I removed the towel, setting it somewhere where it would stay dry.  The thought of someone walking in made me skittish…  As I turned on the water, my ears perked.  I thought someone had come in… but no one was there.     I shivered as the hot water of the shower ran through my fur and turned my bouncy bangs into a gathering of lifeless, white-tipped hair.  I was quick to push my bangs back between my ears.  Once I was thoroughly rinsed, I turned off the water and grabbed my towel, putting it back around my midsection.  It was time to take that first step out into the open-air spring…

    I shuddered, my ears flicking as the relatively cool air of the outside world touched my wet body.  It wasn't so bad… I was definitely eager to get into that spring, though.  There was a nice, large privacy fence blocking my view, but I could see a lot of steam coming from the other side – a good sign.  I held my breath, then walked around the fence, unsure of what to expect.

    Honestly?  I was a little disappointed.  Kurama's outdoor spring wasn't exactly the luxurious place I was expecting.  It was just kind of… well… an oddly-shaped pool of water with an awning over one part.  There was a large wall surrounding the area, cutting the man-made parts of the spring off from nature.  There were some wash basins on the rim of the pool, too, and I could see a lot of steam rising off the water.  The view of the nearby mountains was pretty spectacular, even in the fading light of the evening.  But, you know… I guess my expectations were just really high from all the anime I've seen.  Plus, that cashier made it sound far more amazing than it was…  It was fine for about ten dollars.  I just wanted… more.

    I stepped forward, feeling like I'd been misled.  I was sure the hot spring would still feel amazing, but yeah…  It just looked like a big jacuzzi, to me.  As I got closer to the pool, however, I noticed something.  There was a shape in the steam…  It seemed like I wasn't alone after all.  I thought about greeting them, but instead, I just continued my approach.     Suddenly, a breeze came through, making me shiver.  It also cut a path through the steam… and revealed something I had never seen before.

    The figure… was a dragon.