When the show was over, Tsubaki returned to the preparation room to be bathed and adorned in a new outfit. The young assistants chattered and draped her with expensive clothes, their voices bird-like with excitement.

"Tsubaki-dono, your clothing is so pretty!"

"I hope I earn as much money as you when I grow up!"

Tsubaki blinked coldly. "Money isn't everything, little ones."

"That's what a rich person would say!"

"I have to go and entertain some of the important patrons now, Kuro-chan," she said aloud for Eitsu's benefit. The cat stretched, and with a single leap, perched on Tsubaki's shoulder, to everyone's surprise.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Once she was dressed, made up, and her long hair carefully brushed smooth, Tsubaki thanked the assistants and made her way towards the entertaining rooms. She took her time, allowing Eitsu to whisper in her ear.

"So what's going on?"

"There were some important people in the audience today. My manager wants me to meet them."

"If you have so much money, why do you still keep doing this? Just quit and retire."

Tsubaki simply shook her head.

“Want my help?”

"You're already doing a great job helping me keep my sanity right now, Eitsu-sama."

"Hm?"

"We're about to go into a room full of people who have more kin¹金 (kin) - gold. than they are ken²賢 (ken) - wise, intelligent. Essentially Tsubaki is saying that the people 'have more dollars than sense (cents)' - i.e. rich but stupid.. I'd rather stab my eyes out. I won't because you're here."

"You could think about stabbing their eyes out instead."

"That sounds entertaining. But if I get blood on these clothes, my manager will definitely kill me."

They stopped at the door.

"How about I do it? Then I can turn back into a cat and no one will know it was me."

"That's very lovely of you, but..." Tsubaki drew a deep breath, then adopted a polite expression. "They pay my bills. I can't kill my money providers."

"Pity."

"It is."

The faint sweet fragrance of the oil brushed through her hair swaddled Eitsu softly, and then Tsubaki slid open the door. A burst of noise greeted her.

"Tsubaki-dono, come and sit next to me!"

"No, me, me! She sat next to you last time!"

"Come and have a drink, you have to drink!"

Tsubaki bowed and successfully soothed everyone's egos without agreeing to a single thing. She took a seat between two older ladies who immediately formed a protective guard around her. They cooed over Eitsu and apparently monopolised Tsubaki's attention, although she was actually internally amused by at the aggrieved looks from the other patrons.

The door slid open again.

The man in the doorway was handsome and well-dressed. His dark grey-blue hair fell over his left eye, hiding it from view. His other eye, that strange light brown, roamed the room lazily.

Eitsu froze.

Tsubaki froze.

Why...?

Rei stepped easily into the room and was mobbed with almost the same enthusiasm that had greeted Tsubaki, and, like Tsubaki, he deftly fended off the attention, this time with polite smiles, until he stood by the dancer's side. Tsubaki rose and bowed; it was impossible to ignore this man who had dominated the place. Even the two guarding ladies were looking at Rei with heart-shaped eyes.

"Dancer Tsubaki greets you."

"This lowly person is called Rei. It is a pleasure to meet you." He grinned at the two older women. "Might I have a moment?"

They immediately retreated, casting glances back over their fans.

"Do you think...?"

"Of course, look what an beautiful pair they make..."

Eitsu's ears twitched.

Rei caught the movement, and his mouth creased into a secret smile.

She thought her heart would stop.

"May I pour you some sake?" Tsubaki asked, gracefully reaching for the tokkuri³徳利 (tokkuri) - generic term for a ceramic sake flask/carafe.. In a flash, Eitsu had jumped down and knocked it over.

"Ei- Kuro-chan, what are you doing?"

Rei chuckled. "Ah? Is your kitty jealous? Perhaps he thinks he is not getting enough attention."

Eitsu wasn't sure either why she had jumped down. A few people nearby laughed.

"A jealous kitty? Tsubaki-dono, you should bring him along with you more often, he's so cute!"

"He could be a great addition to your dances!"

"Watch out, Rei-sama!"

Rei waved his gloved hand casually. "It doesn't matter. Tsubaki-dono, I'm a big fan of yours."

"Thank you, sir, I am flattered."

"I was wondering if I could invite you to my place?"

Tsubaki pretended to coyly hide behind a sleeve. "Sir, what do you mean?"

"Ah, I mean for an event. I'm hosting an auction, you see, and I think it would be wonderful for you to attend. I'm sure you'd enjoy it." He offered her a small, crooked smile.

"Oh, that is so kind of you. I would have to check with my manager."

"Manager-dono!" Rei called without taking his gaze from Tsubaki and Eitsu. 'I'd like to borrow your lovely lead dancer in two evenings' time. Please don't deny me."

Tsubaki's manager was already somewhat drunk. His gaze on Rei was a little unsteady. "Rei-sama, we have a performance..."

"Ah, but I have a big event that night that Tsubaki-dono cannot miss." For a brief second, Rei made a circle with his thumb and forefinger and flashed it at the manager. The man was tipsy but he understood instantly.

"She's all yours!"

"Well...?" Rei smiled lazily at Tsubaki.

Say no, say no, Eitsu thought frantically.

"Is it really a suitable place for a person such as myself to attend?" Tsubaki asked, feigning anxiety. Rei leaned in close, his body carefully bent so that it was almost, but not quite, touching Tsubaki's shoulder. The people surreptitiously watching from the sidelines drew their breath. One of the woman fanned herself furiously, whispering to her friend, "What a beautiful pair. I can die happy, having seen this sight!"

"Of course you are suitable," Rei assured, his voice a low and confiding growl in Tsubaki's ear. Eitsu extended and contracted her claws.

"You have my badge, is that not so?"

"Your badge...?" For once, Tsubaki's eyes showed her thoughts without filter, shifting from confusion to comprehension to hostility.

The gold fox on the black circle.

The illegal legendary animal trading organisation.

"That... You!"

Rei smiled disarmingly.

Tsubaki's voice was glacial as she recovered herself. "I don't think I will be able to attend, sir."

"That's a pity." Rei's gloved hand reached out and rested on Eitsu's head, then curled around her cheeks. The action was so unexpected that Eitsu was shocked immobile. Before she could react, Rei had seized her by the scruff of the neck and bundled her into his robes. Her vision swam, then went black.

Tsubaki shot upright, but before she could say a word, Rei pressed a finger playfully to her lips.

The watching women squealed.

"I'll take good care of Kuro-chan, my sweet Tsubaki-dono. You'll have to come along to the auction and see me to get him back~" Rei smiled teasingly.

Tsubaki's gaze was wintery. "I understand."

Even Tsubaki's drunk manager noticed the coldness in her voice. "Tsubaki, don't be rude! I'm so sorry, Rei-sama..."

"Haha, it's all in good fun. Tsubaki is such a great actress." He bowed respectfully. "I look forward to seeing you again soon, Tsubaki-dono."

Tsubaki pretended to shyly hide behind her sleeve, but her dark eyes stabbed at Rei. The other man smiled a little wider than usual, his teeth sharp. A light glinted dangerously in his lazy right eye.

"It was good to see you all, but I must get going." He calmly made his farewells, slowly moving through the room back to the door. Tsubaki's eyes were fixed on all she could see of Eitsu from behind Rei's solid form, the tip of her black tail.

And then they were gone.

*

Eitsu lay in the dark. Someone was crying.

Her nose twitched. The air around her was bitingly cold. She was certain she was outdoors, and that it was daytime, yet she could not see anything.

Am I, perhaps, blind this time?

"Eitsu!"

A voice. A familiar voice.

"Eitsu! Eitsu!"

[Don't come here. I don't want you to see me like this.]

Is this... snow?

"Eitsu... You... don't leave me again..."

[Again?]

Who? Who?

"Where are you? Eitsu, Eitsu..."

[You won't have to, love. Just give me a moment, I'll be back soon.]

Who are you? I know you. Please...

"Eitsu, are you still having dreams like that?"

A hand stroked her face, gently rubbing her cheeks. She nuzzled towards it, instinctively seeking the affection.

A scent of pine...

"Rei?"

A handsome face emerged. Dark, smooth skin, a long fringe that covered one eye, the other eye lazily lidded and shining in the dark. She blinked muzzily, fighting against the strange sleepy inertia that swaddled her limbs. Rei's cool lips met hers. She tried to move away.

"Where are we? Where's Tsubaki?"

"She'll be along tomorrow. You're safe now."

"Rei, what... did you do to me?"

"I just wanted to give you a surprise, little treasure." He lay down next to her, wrapping his long legs around hers. She felt the rasp of fabric against bare skin. Evidently as she had shifted into humanoid form, he had chosen not to clothe her.

She tried to revert to her cat form. Nothing happened.

"I can't have that, my little lucky cat. Just stay here and be good, okay? Just stay here..." He kissed her again, his strangely cool tongue soft in her mouth. She could feel something, soft, perhaps furry, snaking its way around her naked body, gently caressing her thighs, her waist, her breasts. Rei continued to pepper her with kisses, working his way around her face and neck.

Eitsu closed her eyes and focused.

Rei.

A badge with a fox on it.

Nightmares.

"I forgot. I forgot so many things,” Eitsu said out loud.

"Hm?" Rei's tongue stroked the inside of her mouth. Her heart beat painfully in her throat.

"Who are you?" Eitsu hissed.

"Little treasure, it's me. It's Rei." Rei's voice dropped low and curled around her ears.

My body remembers... This fast-beating heart...

Eitsu responded to Rei's kisses. She could move at least that much, and as she did, the inertia binding her seemed to fall away somewhat. She could still feel the soft, fluffy things enveloped around her body, but she could sit up now, and she did, wrapping her arms around Rei's broad shoulders and kissing him more deeply. He sighed gently.

The soft things coiled tighter around her body, slipping between her legs. She drew back, panting, and Rei moved hungrily for her neck. She half-expected him to sink his teeth in, but not once did her even nibble at her.

He pushed her back down again, sliding between her legs so that he could kiss his way up along her thighs. The soft things gently pulled her legs apart as he slipped his tongue inside her.

Eitsu shivered under the touch.

I remember, kitsune can create nightmares.

Eitsu could feel soft sheets below her. Still the soft things bound her body, and there was someone there, their hands stroking her thighs, their tongue...

"Like this, Eitsu-sama?"

"Yes."

"I... I love you."

"I love you t-too. Come up here... I want to hold you..."

The person wriggled upwards, their body pressing up against Eitsu's. A mouth met hers, warm and a little sticky. She felt the brush of hair against her neck, and the faintest hint of something sweet and floral followed it.

Not pine.

Not Rei.

Eitsu opened her eyes.

She lay on some sort of couch, her nude body bound about by long, soft tails. Eitsu traced them back to their owner.

Rei was kneeling above her, his expression inscrutable. The nine long white fox tails that sprouted from the base of his spine continued to hold her fast. The white of his one visible eye had turned black.

“Why did you do it?”

Rei sighed. "To keep you safe, precious.”

"From who?"

Rei ignored the question, choosing instead to reach out and very lightly tweak one of Eitsu's exposed nipples with his long nails. She flinched.

"Why don't we finish what we were doing first? It would be rude of me to leave you waiting."

“I didn't ask you to stop. I want you to stop giving me nightmares.”

"I didn't do much," he responded, pressing up against her. "I just... made things ambiguous."

He pushed inside. She drew breath sharply, feeling his hard length rub against her slick insides. Rei moved to kiss her again, but she turned her face away, instead moving her own hips to match his rhythm until they were both panting.

"Can I at least take this as a sign that you're enjoying yourself?" he asked, sitting up in a kneeling posture while wrapping his hands around her buttocks and pulling her in close to make sure he stayed inside her.

"You're a kitsune. Of course you have good skills."

Although she was trembling, sweating and panting, her golden eyes met his light brown one coolly. He sighed again, letting the long nail of his thumb ever so gently scrape the swollen flesh exposed before him. Eitsu let out a tiny, cat-like cry.

"I guess I'll have to be satisfied with this."

He pulled out. For a moment, Eitsu thought he had decided to give up, but he suddenly flipped her over, pinning her by her wrists to the bed, and entered her again.

It was different this time. Previously, he had treated her as though she were a delicate object, liable to fall apart at any moment, but now he mercilessly drove in again and again, his hands tight on her wrists. Eitsu raised her hips instinctively, back arched as her breath was forced out of her in a series of whimpers and moans. She dug her nails into the cloth of the bed, and bit her lip hard.

Focus.

His tails snaked out again, two taking the place of his hands in holding her wrists. Another two caressed her breasts, a third brushing her lips until she opened her mouth and began to lick. Two more encircled her thighs to keep her legs spread, another slipping to that throbbing spot to rub her to the edge of consciousness as Rei himself rocked back and forth on his knees.

She could hear him panting harshly, and yet, in spite of everything, his skin still felt so cool to the touch...

Who knew what that meant; it had no bearing on what needed to happen. She just had to focus... he was a kitsune after all, and they had two special skills.

Nightmare manipulation, and seduction.

So what were a kaibyou's skills?

"Let me..." She moved back and forth too, tightening inside as the tail rubbed her over and over. Rei half-laughed, half-gasped, driving hard into her suddenly as he came. A moment later, she did the same.

Barely a second later, they broke apart.

Rei crouched, panting, a few metres away, a hand clutched to his forehead, shaking. Eitsu, exhausted, merely grinned over her shoulder at him from where she lay.

For a minute or so, nothing was heard except their gradually slowing breaths.

Rei stood slowly and rearranged his robes, swaying slightly. He had not taken any of his clothing off the whole time. "I see. So you've regained some more of your powers."

"Is that what you think? Wasn't the sex just that good?"

Rei smiled thinly. "It was lovely, but usually having your soul sucked out should be metaphorical."

Eitsu laughed and rolled on her back, spreading her legs once more, displaying every part of herself shamelessly. Sticky fluid dripped onto the couch she was laying on. "Hm? Wouldn't you like me to metaphorically suck your soul out?"

"Metaphorically, any time, my treasure. Only, kaibyou can also literally suck a person's soul out, and I'd rather not have to deal with that." His eyes fell on her wrists. "Ah."

There were red rub marks all around her slender forearms where the tails had held her. Oddly, Rei looked more aggrieved by this than he had by anything else so far. He took a step towards her, but seemed to think better of it. "Those need treating."

"So come and treat me."

"Your saliva has healing powers."

"Maybe I haven't regained that power yet."

Rei turned away, a hand sliding under his fringe to press at his left eye. "I really haven't had much luck, recently."

"I wonder why that is."

"Not to worry, little treasure." He reached the door of the room and slid it open. Beyond, Eitsu could see an unfamiliar house, different in style to anything she had ever seen.

Every table and sideboard was covered with lit candles.

"It'll be over soon enough."

He stepped out and closed the door.