Nothing is ever easy, and Niamh doesn't really have any more answers now than when she went to talk to Inari. Everything has a pro and a con, and ultimately she's going to have to make a choice to do some,thing, or nothing! Either way, the foxes haven't been particularly forthcoming with help on it. Right now Niamh has gone back to her 'room' here, to decide where and what to do next. Or who to talk to. Or if she should just run screaming into the sunset.
The pit in her stomach isn't just from not having had breakfast yet. It seems like her usual methods of regaining her energy, and their associated risks and costs in this new land, have left her in a very bad position - even if she doesn't even consider what she'll need for a successful chinkon ritual. She can't afford to lose any more energy than she has. And what she's used so far was also based on her thinking she could renew it from the moon or forest! "Moon rabbits? Rabbits?" she laments. But.. one of the Moon Princes likes Miyuki, so she must know something about dealing with them. So Niamh forces herself back to her feet, and takes a deep breath. Don't look desperate in front of the kitsune, she tells herself. Do. Not. Break. Down! It isn't exactly enough to give her confidence, but it does get her out of the room to seek out the younger of the kitsunes.
Given the time of day, Miyuki may be in her room, so it's the best first place to check since she's inside the temple anyway. So, a short walk later has Niamh approaching Miyuki's closed door. She doesn't hear anything out here, but then in this place how much can you ever trust your senses anyway? Especially with the foxes about causing chaos. So, now the question is ... does she knock, or dare to just open the door?
Niamh is anything but daring at the moment, so tries knocking first. "Miyuki?" she says to the paper door.
"Sorry, Miyuki is not home at the moment, but if you talk into the door handle, it will take your message," comes a very Miyuki-sounding voice on the other side of the door. Foxes. Why must they always be so ... bizarre?
This.. confuses Niamh, who just stares at the door. Then she bends down, and says into the handle, "Miyuki, it's Niamh. My audience with Inari.. well, I have a lot of questions that I hope you can help me with, because I'd rather ask you before trying Noboru."
There's this pregnant pause of silence. "Oh good grief," Miyuki laughs on the other side. "The door is open, you can come in, if you pormise to brush my hair."
That at least is the first promise Niamh doesn't feel worried about making, so she slides the door open and enters. "Were you teasing me?" she has to ask.
Miyuki is sitting, naked, on a pillow and looking mostly human save for her fluffy tail and her long black hair, which has been untied and now drapes down her back like an obsidian waterfall. She glances over and smiles ever so sweetly. "You would be disappointed if I didn't," she points out.
"Are you certain?" Niamh ask, and kneels down behind Miyuki to one side, to avoid sitting on her tail or hair. "Do you have a comb I can use?" she asks.. expecting some bizarre answer.
Miyuki leans forward and pulls out a box from under her low table then slides it back and over to Niamh. "Use any you like from in there," she comments. If Niamh opens it, it's full of intricate silvery-metal combs of all shapes and sizes, as well as those carved from bone, tortoise-shell, , and even jade." "So, what is it you seek of the immaculate and infinite wisdom of the kitsune kind?" she asks.
Choosing the tortoise-shell one, Niamh starts at the top and doesn't worry about what to do when she gets to the mid-way point. She's never had to deal with such long hair before, after all. "Well.." she says as she combs. "Inari gave me permission to perform my renewal, but.. I don't know if I can agree to one of her conditions, and she said there might be issues with moon rabbits. And that you've had experience dealing with one of them?"
That particular question makes Miyuki groan. "She would be referring to Eito, the youngest son of the Emperor of the moon. He's ... fond of me," she replies, trying to sound diplomatic about it. "But, he's also a rabbit. Overly amorous would be being polite about him. They're not unpleasant creatures, don't mistake my comments, but ... if you summon them, you will have to either fend them off, or marry one of them."
"I wouldn't be summoning them deliberately," Niamh claims, using her palm to hold up Miyuki's hair while she combs through it. "But.. what have you done to fend them off? I mean.. what are my chances of fending one off by myself? Especially if.. uh.. the renewal goes well and I might be a bit.. aggressively amorous as a result?"
"If that's the side effect of your ritual, then I'm afraid I doubt you could do much to fend them off," Miyuki notes and shrugs a little. "They're chariming, persistent, and they can affect the mind. If you're already susceptible, well ... I hope you like eventually becoming a moon rabbit."
"I was afraid you'd say something like that," Niamh says with a sigh, and focuses on combing the long dark hair for a moment. "What if they thought I was already married though?" she asks.
"Eeeeh, I'm not sure? It might change their attempts?" Miyuki comments and shrugs again. Her tail flicks slowly, too. "I don't think I've seeen it come up before."
"You mean you never tried to trick them like that?" Niamh asks, actually sounding surprised. "So you don't know if claiming we were married would stop them.. including your young prince.. then? I don't know how marriage customs work with Yokai."
"Usually it's done much like human ones, to tie families politically and avoid conflicts," Miyuki explains, "At least here in Nippon, anyway that's how human ones work. And why would you want to claim to be married to me?"
"I thought it would solve all the problems with the rabbits," Niamh admits. "Plus the other thing. We can't get each other pregnant. I don't think."
"Sure we can," Miyuki comments and glances over her shoulder, brow arched. "Why did you think otherwise?"
"I.. I didn't think things would be that different over here," Niamh asks, looking startled.
Miyuki makes an odd sort of barking laugh! "Wow, you actually fell for that one," she says once she gets the giggles under control.
"Miyuki," Niamh whines. "I'm in a real crisis here, can't you please be kinder to me? I can't second-guess everything you say or I will go insane. Are there are other ways I can replenish my energy that don't involve dealing with moon rabbits? I've never had to resort to getting it from something other than the moon or forest or a god! How do you do it?"
"You'd be in less of a crisis if you would relax some," Miyuki points out. "I replenish from simply living and existing; my nature is that of the spirit and the places between. I just ... replenish when I rest. I don't have to do any rituals for it. Look, everything has a plus and a minus to it, right? You've looked into two ways, each with their risks. Which do you feel most comfortable with? What scares you the most?"
"What scares me is that everything wants to eat me or marry me and I have no real idea of why," Niamh says, squeezing the hair in her hand for a moment. "I don't have anywhere near the power of a full Yokai, and it suggests that the locals get their power by eating smaller beings. I can't eat someone. I'm mostly flesh and blood, and that doesn't recover my spirit. I'm afraid that I'm going to whither away." Her voice starts to actually crack a bit now. "I don't know anything and I'm afraid of everything now as a result. I.. don't think you can understand, being what you are."
Miyuki turns around, though it still leaves some of her hair in Niamh's hands anyway. She puts a finger underneath the girl's chin and holds it still. "You are in no real danger here at the temple, you know," she says, voice quiet and soft. "Jokes, yes. Silliness and embarrassment, yes. But real harm? No. I'll go speak to the forest heart on your behalf, and perhaps they can provide you a way to not worry about withering away while here. I can travel the forest reasonably safely, you can't, at least not as you are."
"You'd do that?" Niamh asks, looking stupidly grateful. "I honestly thought you'd go with the marriage thing and then offer me to the youngest prince if he vowed to leave you alone.." she babbles.
"Well, if you'd prefer that, I can do that instead," Miyuki offers. "I'm generous. So, Eito, then? He's nice enough, and supremely well-endowed."
Instead, Niamh tries to hug Miyuki! "I have a satyr friend back home," she claims.
"So, Eito and his brother? They can fill both ends," Miiyuki squeaks in the hug, and her tail puffs out!
"Are you speaking from experience?" Niamh.. teases?
"I'm speaking from seeing them with some of the town girls," Miyuki huffs. "I have higher standards."
"Wait.. human town girls?" Niamh asks, sounding almost angry. "Daughters of the women who give me the evil eye because.. well, I have no idea what their reasons where but I assumed they thought I was consorting with Noboru."
"No, because you are foreign," Miyuki points out. "That is a far bigger crime."
"How can that be a crime?" Niamh demands. "There are invisible butt-licking perverts haunting their privets but I'm a scandal? It's not fair! I get enough of that in England just for being ginger. It does not make me a witch!"
"Aren't you a witch, though?" Miyuki points out and even arches up her right brow a little. "And yes, being foreign is not looked well upon here, nor is being a half-breed."
"The Yokai haven't been insulting me about being a half-breed," Niamh says, calming down a little. "Maybe they think it makes me taste better or something. Why do you want me? Is it really just that I'm not local, so there won't be any complications?"
"Mm, that would be telling. You'll just have to wonder," Miyuki comments, then turns right back around. "Hair," she reminds.
"There weren't any tangles," Niamh promises, and lets go of it. "Is there anything I need to do while I'm waiting?"
"Relax, that's what. Go drink a gallon of saki or something," Miyuki comments and leans forward onto her hands. HEr from contorts and reduces, including the hair Niamh was just brushing until she's just an average-sized white fox thing, with blue glowing markings. "I've never met anyone as worried and tight as you are. Is your entire country this bad?" the fox asks.
"It's just me," Niamh claims. "I'm sure if you visited my home and had to figure out foreign fairies you'd be wound tight too."
"Hardly, they'd just declare me their Empress," Miyuki claims as she rises. Her tail flicks and the door to her room opens. "Well, I'd best go plead your case before you do something silly ... er." the fox notes and then heads out the doorway and into the hall. "Do behave yourself?"
"I thought you wanted me to relax?" Niamh asks. "I'll try to do both without causing a war."
The kitsune just shakes her head and disappears down the hallway.
Niamh follows after putting the comb away, and closes the door behind her. "To properly relax, I should get some breakfast," she tells herself, one hand on her stomach. The empty pit is still there, so should try to deal with the hunger part.
As Niamh is heading down the hall in direction of the dining from from the other night, Noboru's fox-head pops out of the wall on her left. "Have you calmed down yet?" he asks.
"Waaagh!" Niamh immediately shrieks and clutches at her chest after falling backwards onto her butt. Which makes her tail nub hurt. "Ow! Where you eavesdropping?" she demands, and takes deep breathes.
Noboru steps through the wall. "No, you're loud," the kitsune claims and taps one long ear with one of his tails. "And excitable. You're like a gift that keeps on giving; you never fail to startle," he claims.
"You.. you all complain that I never relax, and then.. make sure that I can't relax?" Niamh asks. "I really need to relax, Noboru. I'm.. just like this because I've been on the edge of panic for days now.."
"Or we're trying to make you get used to it," Noboru points out, tails lashing out and grabbing her wrists, then pulling her back to her feet. "Have ANY of us here really harmed you?"
"I.. what do you consider harmed to be?" Niamh asks, rubbing at her arms as if she were cold. "I don't know why you do anything that you do. Tickling someone until they pee isn't harming them, but.. not harming isn't the same as being kind."
"Define kindness, then?" Noboru requests, ears flicking. "As an absolute. What is kindness, without using any point of reference."
Niamh has to think on this. It's something she's had to deal with before when dealing with fairies. "Improving the well-being of someone without recompense," she suggests. "If it's because you feel better for doing it, that doesn't count as recompense."
"And making you stronger, able to deal with surprises, and more accepting of your nature ... is this not improving your well-being?" Noboru points out, using Miamh's own logic and words.
Now Niamh tugs on her own hair. "Keeping me off my bearings so I never get to catch my breath?" she replies. "I am about to fall apart, Noboru. You didn't see me before the journey here. I am not.. healthy.."
"Nonsense. You're alive, that is enough," Noboru claims. "You look for problems and issues, that is why you are so stressed."
The girl just stares at Noboru looking exhausted. "Is there any breakfast?" she asks, as her stomach gurgles.
"Of course. Do you like raw squirrel or raw pheasant?" Noboru asks as he leashes Niamh to follow him by curling one tail aorund her wrist and walking.
Following along, Niamh just replies with, "Do either come with jam?"
"Pig entrails," Noboru answers. He continues on through the temple, taking Niamh back up to the dining hall. Thankfully there's nothing dead or otherwise, just a bowl of fruit and some rounds of bread. There's also some steamed rice.
Finally, Niamh's tired expression seems to perk up. "Is it alright if I eat like a starved animal?" she asks her escort.
Noboru's tail releases Niamh's wrist. "Whatever makes you happy. I'll be outside," the fox says then heads out of the hall and leaves Niamh to herself
So, the girl gorges herself, chokes a few times, and starts crying midway through. She stops short of offering up her soul in gratitude though. She isn't exactly certain who has the strongest claim on it right now.
The room is quiet and oddly peaceful. No demands on her time, or her soul, or anything. It's disturbingly ordinary, and so is the food.
But ordinary is just what Niamh needed. And probably the crying too. Once she's consumed everything she can, she lies forward across the table. She isn't used to indoor places being peaceful, but she tries to let it pull away some of her stress at least.
Niamh can hear birds calling somewhere outside. Perhaps the chitter of squirrels. Even the sound of wind in the leaves can be heard in here. Soon, the smell of flowers wafts through, too. All it all, it's simple peaceful, as if time stood somewhat still for a bit.
At some point she slides back off of the low table to flop onto her back. The pit in her stomach is still there, but it's not as bad and she imagine that she's outside in a nice copse of trees in spring.
Everything is so peaceful, so quiet, and so relaxing ... Niamh falls asleep. By the time her eyes open the sunlight in the room is much lower and taking on a reddish hue. She fell asleep for the entire day and they just left her in the dining room! Maybe they figured she needed it?
"Ugh," she manages to grunt, and tries to prop herself back up. "Evening? I hope Miyuki returned by now.." she mutters, and heads outside to make sure it really is evening and not an illusion.
It really is sundown. Noboru is perched atop the upper torii gate, with his paws dangling around the central beam. He looks like he's asleep too.
Since she hasn't seen anyone else yet, Niamh heads towards the gate. "Noboru?" she calls up. "Did Miyuki return yet?"
"Eeeh, did the fruit tree bazoom nets?" Noboru mutters and opens one eye. "What does that mean?"
"Has Miyuki returned from the forest?" Niamh clarifies. "You overheard everything but what she said?"
"I heard you the first time. Your nap has not improved your mood," Noboru comments and yawns. He stretch-splays out on top of that Torii gate, then closes his eyes for a moment. "No, I don't sense her at the temple. So, I assume she has not returned yet."
"She was going to the forest-heart," Niamh explains. "Would it normally take her this long to go there and back?"
"Might. Depends on if the Forest Spirit had some task of her he wanted done before he would grant her request," Noboru comments. "She's a big girl, can usually take care of herself fine. Are you worried?""
"Yes," Niamh answers quickly. "She didn't mention anything like that, and what if Kasumi is still lurking around? She wouldn't do anything to Miyuki would she?"
"I don't sense or smell Kasumi," Noboru says, but does finally hop down from the Torii gate. "And she didn't mention it, because you were already freaking out about everything, if you had known there would be costs involved Miyuki had to deal with I doubt you would have taken the nap you needed," he points out, then looks out to the forest. "I suppose I should go look for her."
Niamh heads for the forest gate. "How far would she go to help me?" she frets to Noboru. "I hope it doesn't involve the rabbits."
"Oh no, not the rabbits. It would likely involve the river dragons, if anything," Noboru says as he trots towards the stairs down to the forest gate now too.
Niamh to the last step. "Are they bothersome?" she asks, more anxious of the 'river' part than the 'dragon' part.
"They are dragons," Noboru says, "Extremely powerful, and somewhat demanding.
"Demanding of what?" Niamh asks. "Pearls? Gold? Cows?"
"Souls. Favors, new land. Territory," Noboru ticks off. "A night of sex. Any and all things. You need to stop worrying, I'm sure she's fine."
"How can you expect me not to worry after listing all of that!" Niamh demands. "It's not dragons, is it? You're just trying to get me all worked up again."
"I'm serious. It could be dragons. It could also just be the Forest Lord wants Miyuki to fetch him some fruit. It could be just about anything," the kitsune comments. "You couldn't decide what risk you wanted to take, so it left Miyuki having to take the risk in your stead."
"All of the risks were.. unworkable," Niamh says, and sits on the step with her face in her hands. "Can you take me the forest heart so I can find out how bad it is?" she asks muffledly.
"Why don't you wait until we see if she does come back, first? Calm yourself, things aren't bad yet. You worry too much," Noboru comments."
"Rrrrrrng," Niamh grumbles, pulling on her cheeks. "You led off with something very worrying, then made me feel guilty about it," she points out. "Every bit I worry must translate into amusement for you."
"Hardly. Just wait here. I'll go check on things," Noboru says and sighs, "Humans, no perspective." He bounds down the stairway and off into the woods!
"I'll just wait here then and worry," Niamh calls after him, and moves a few more steps higher up. "I behaved, Miyuki. I didn't get into trouble," she mumbles, and hugs her knees while she waits for the foxes to return.