The Mountain Goddess Ch. 02

The miserable atmosphere on the mountain continued. Unceasing, the rain dampened the moods of everyone, and the constant pressure of the strange influence it carried meant edicts had gone out requesting that people only venture outside if absolutely necessary.

The result was a gradual souring of people's attitudes, and a slowly increasing number of people reported going outside heedless of the danger the rain presented, sick of being cooped up.

Masaji sat under the awning, watching the drizzle with a grim expression. He couldn't fault them for feeling that way. Though constant, the downpour wasn't heavy enough to cause flooding or inconvenience the people, and with most humans having trouble even perceiving the spiritual the threat it supposedly presented felt immaterial. Especially when mild exposure didn't seem to do more than make people more excitable.

"There you are. What news from the village?" came a voice to his right.

Stepping along the walkway was one of Sakuya's sisters. In the mountain goddess' absence she had stepped up into a position of seniority amongst the fox clan, effectively filling Sakuya's shoes, though it was clear Minako didn't appreciate the comparison.

He tilted his head towards her, regarding her with a look of exasperation that told her exactly what she already feared. Like most of the clan she shared the long blonde hair of the mountain goddess tipped with a pair of fox ears. In contrast to Sakuya's piercing red gaze however, Minako's eyes were pools of blue, clear and insightful.

"More reports of people going about their business. They make excuses when questioned, but businesses need to continue operating, and some of them need open air to do it, rain or shine," he explained diplomatically. It was hard to fault them for that -- whatever happened in the world of the spirits, the mortals needed to continue their affairs too, and it couldn't all be paused on three weeks' worth of vague warnings.

Minako crossed her arms, teeth bared. Now that he was getting to know a few of the sisters better he was learning to read these unconscious actions. For Minako, the bared teeth served two purposes; a sign of agitation that harkened back to the animal she embodied, and the resolution to try and solve a problem -- to 'sink her teeth into it' as it were.

"Perhaps for the time being we need to give them more details. Maybe even... embellish somewhat. Lady Sakuya must be nearing completion of the ritual by now, so these rains ought to abate any day. The people will forgive us stretching the truth for their own safety, surely..."

It brought a dry smile to his face as he turned back and resumed watching the rain. This was the way it so often went in his conversations with the spirits. There was no malevolence in what Minako was saying, just an unconscious surety that the mortals were lesser, not unlike children. Therefore it was more forgivable to deceive them if it was 'for their own good'.

Still, he was expected to be cordial, and pointing that out would only be interpreted as criticism from an offended mortal. "I think they'll be suspicious if we push them now. Much as I fear to admit it, the rain either needs to stop or get worse before we can advise the mortals one way or another."

The teeth were bared again. "What if we... staged something?" she thought aloud. "Convince them of the threat."

He kept himself in check, but Masaji found it would no longer be false to say he was an offended mortal if Minako didn't like his response. "If you trick them they will distrust you. They're not cattle, they understand reason, it simply is not practical right now to put their lives on hold until Lady Sakuya completes the ritual. The rain is having no perceivable impact on their lives, and they are beginning to wonder if it is just a mild monsoon."

There was no keeping the irritation out of his voice once he started, and he could tell without looking at her that Minako's arms were crossed. Her teeth wouldn't be bared this time, now she'd just be scowling.

"We need to do something," she said in frustration. Unlike Sakuya, Minako's tail wasn't hidden within her robes, the shorter wrappings allowing it to swish behind her legs to match the irritation she felt at what seemed to be Masaji shooting her down unilaterally. "They risk corruption otherwise."

In his mind Masaji found himself begging for someone else to interrupt their conversation. It was obvious Minako wanted to be actively doing something, that she wasn't happy being left here while Sakuya and Reiki attended to the source of the problem. From Masaji's perspective that did nothing to excuse that her restlessness was beginning to translate into wanting to do anything at all even if it was a bad idea.

"Minako..." he began, but she cut him off.

"Lady Minako, thank you."

The pause lingered, long enough to make his own frustration obvious. His marriage to Sakuya had certainly afforded him some respect, but with her gone it was becoming clear that the spirits of the mountain were not all so forward thinking as his wife.

"Lady Minako," he corrected slowly. "Until the humans have a clear example of this corruption they will not respect its threat. The only reason we do is that our heightened sense of the spiritual allows us to perceive this faint influence."

He glanced sidelong at her as he deliberately used the word 'we', including himself with the spirits when discussing their capabilities. The fox spirit didn't outwardly react to it, but he knew that would somehow be what she came back to ruminate on later.

"Right now, the threat presented is unclear, and its effects mild at worst. I agree with the Lady Sakuya that precautions need to be taken, but I think relaxing our stance while maintaining caution would do better to preserve trust and maintain alertness in the people. Pressing them harder may result in some heeding the warnings, but it will come at the cost of the more rebellious flaunting the edicts, and there is no ideal outcome to that situation."

His point made in what he hoped was the most articulate fashion possible, Masaji turned and regarded Minako. She was shorter than him, and unlike her sister often chose to walk barefoot rather than float about the mountain, so he found himself looking down at her, trying not to let his eyes wander down the nape of her neck and into the valley of pale skin at her chest. Sakuya's mention of her heat cycle returned to him, and he found himself getting distracted.

"Maybe if the more rebellious flaunt the edicts we'll see what happens to those exposed to the rain for too long," Minako sighed. The tone of her voice said she was relenting in her planning, at least for now, but that she wanted to see things escalate rather than stagnate.

Masaji refused to rise to the bait, tilting his head to look sidelong at the fox spirit with his own irritation no longer concealed. Sakuya couldn't return soon enough.

Mercifully their discussion came to an end as Tama appeared around the corner of the temple, catching sight of them both and making her way over, a smile on her face. "Masaji! And Minako too!" she exclaimed happily.

The elder spirit sighed, turning towards the newcomer. "Any news?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Tama was just a bit shorter than Minako, stopping in front of her and tilting her head up just slightly, selling the image of a younger sibling trying to impress her big sister. "Still nothing," the young fox spirit confirmed apologetically.

"You sounded so excited," Minako said, sounding for all the world like she was scolding Tama for daring to show enthusiasm.

"I was happy to see you both," Tama said defensively, her red eyes glancing up into Minako's blue before plummeting down, all-too aware that her enthusiasm was not being met.

Minako took a step back, dusting off her robes as she prepared to leave. "It's fine, I'll leave you two to discuss things, I have other matters to attend to," she said, promptly excusing herself. "Masaji, if this continues we may have cause to speak with more severity about the village's response to our edicts."

The mortal looked over at Tama, who gave him a sympathetic smile, before he returned to regarding the older fox spirit. "I look forward to it," he said unconvincingly, before turning back to look out at the rain.

They both watched the drizzle in silence as Minako walked away, the heaviness of her presence remaining after she departed. Standing out of it, Masaji found himself once again wondering what could be causing such a strange phenomenon. Outwardly it truly did look like it was just an extended spell of rain, like the potential threat of it was simply a byproduct rather than an intention. The weakening of the seal, Reiki had said. An ancient dragon cursed and imprisoned.

"Don't let her get to you, she's like that about everything," Tama said eventually, not turning to look at him.

The urge to give voice to his frustrations grew, but Masaji held himself in check. Tama was another of the spirits too, she wouldn't understand him. Even Sakuya didn't always understand these frustrations, despite championing his side of the debate more often than not. Eventually he simply sighed. "The people are restless. It's been weeks," he said simply.

It took a while for Tama to respond, her mind seeming to work through a few things before she landed on a response. "I hope Sakuya and Reiki are okay."

Masaji's mind went to the lake, to the caves beneath where right now presumably his wife was working to repair the seal, her rat spirit attendant assisting however he could. Those lonely, dank caves as her heat would be setting upon her. Perhaps she would simply have to suppress it this year as well, the promise going unfulfilled out of necessity. A disappointing outcome, but it would be unfair to hold her to it.

"Me too," he said after a while, unable to think of anything else but to echo the sentiment.

Quiet descended on them again, Minako's manner of leaving souring both their moods, but Masaji could tell that the other fox spirit was grasping for a way to pull them both out of this funk. Eventually she landed on something, a mischievous grin appearing on her features.

"Hey," she said, nudging the mortal with an elbow. When he tilted his head to regard her, she could see the caution in his eyes, but beneath that was a warm enthusiasm for something to get his mind off the Lake of Pyres.

"Bet you can't stand out in it longer than me," she said.

He blinked, her dare not at all what he had expected. "You want to stand out in the rain we've been telling mortals to avoid as much as possible?"

The grin was bigger. She could tell there was some part of him that was open to her challenge. Masaji couldn't deny that he too was growing somewhat restless. "You're a demon hunter though, right? It won't be a problem for you."

Raising an eyebrow, he looked the fox spirit up and down. "You're a spirit, you can just use your power to resist it."

"That wouldn't be fair at all!" she countered, quickly getting into it. "I wouldn't dare cheat, I can beat you without such tricks."

Her enthusiasm was quickly becoming infectious, and Masaji realised how much he missed playful interactions like this with the villagers. Cooped up as they were the children especially had been miserable the past few weeks, desperate to go outside and play.

"Fine, but I want both of us to promise not to be stubborn. If we start to feel anything we get out immediately," he said in a warning tone, quickly finding himself back in the school yard.

"I promise," Tama lied, stepping out into the drizzle and spreading her arms. "Ahh, that's so nice and cool."

Masaji quickly followed, not wanting to let her stay out there alone for too long. He had been subject to the rain more than once already, darting between buildings as he travelled to and from the temple. Sometimes he would take an umbrella, or walk with one of Sakuya's sisters who could project a small barrier that the rain washed over, leaving them a bubble of dry air, but this was not the first time he'd felt that cool water run over his face and down into his clothes.

It was hard to deny how refreshing it was, the humid air inside the temple almost making it feel like he was in the rain already, but now standing under the drizzle properly he felt cool at last.

Tama giggled, turning around in place and raising her head to the sky. "I miss playing in the rain. It's so nice after having to talk to stuffy people like Minako."

"She's doing her best. Sakuya left big shoes to fill. It's only been a few weeks anyway," Masaji replied, surprising himself somewhat by coming to the older spirit's defence.

"More than enough," Tama sighed. "Minako wasn't chosen for a reason, but I don't think she's ever figured out what that was."

Masaji had tilted his face up to let the water wash over it, but now he turned, looking at Tama again. "What do you mean?" he asked, unable to resist the curiosity.

Heedlessly she continued to turn on the spot, giving no sign that the influence in the rain had any hold over her. "Don't dig for gossip, mortal," she said, affecting Minako's harsher, deeper tones as she mocked her elder sister.

The decision of who to raise into the empty seat of the mountain goddess had been a subject of debate for years as Masaji understood it. The mountain had no ruler for nearly a decade after the previous goddess had ascended into the heavenly realm to join the host there. It was no surprise at all that Minako had offered her own candidacy, but that was well over a century ago now, and the circumstances never spoken of with the mortals.

Her spinning paused, and Tama looked at him, suddenly solemn. "I was one of the ones who voted for Sakuya. Which meant voting against her," she admitted. "She doesn't know who exactly, or why, but... most of us agreed she was too harsh. That she didn't consider the mortals enough. During our debates, one person put it best. 'She's a general, not a goddess.' I... still think about that a lot on days like this."

It was a surprisingly vulnerable piece of information to offer, giving Masaji a window into the cracks in the uniform front presented by the mountain goddess and her sisters. While they no doubt had put those differences aside in the name of their mutual home, he wondered how many old wounds like this one still festered beneath the surface.

Looking at the (comparatively) young fox spirit, he found himself regarding her in a new light. Tama appeared young by the standards of her sisters, a girl barely out of her teens in outward appearance, so it was easy to forget her true age. Even as one of the youngest spirits among the clan there was a hidden maturity in her that said perhaps her relative youth meant she was more open to the way the world was shifting. At least more open to it than those like Minako who seemed more set in their ways.

He found himself looking at her properly for the first time, a blush creeping into his cheeks as the rain dampened her robes and made them cling to her body, the slight shoulders and lithe legs, the fullness of her lips beneath those surprisingly insightful red eyes. Like most of her sisters, her long hair was blonde, though Tama's was a darker shade, and her ears seemed to rise like mountain peaks of their own, lowered slightly now as she recognised both how vulnerable she'd allowed herself to be, and how it had prompted Masaji to look at her.

"I shouldn't have said that," she said with a slight chuckle, trying to backpedal.

"Too late now," Masaji said softly, a warm smile appearing on his face. "I'm glad you did though. It's... nice to feel like an equal. Not always something I get around here."

Tama was starting to turn red now as well, embarrassed that she'd let herself slip. Masaji found his eyes pulled further down as two points in the fabric of her robe became increasingly noticeable, the damp fabric clinging to her modest breasts and making it obvious her body was reacting to her vulnerability in a particular way.

It became harder and harder to stop noticing them, the bashful way she stood, with a small crooked smile as she demurred, only adding to the image. The red eyes glanced up at Masaji again, and he hoped that she didn't notice the way his own eyes jumped upwards just slightly to meet them.

"Eheh. I suppose that's because I do see you as an equal. Spirit or mortal, we're just... people, right?" she offered. "We all want the same things..."

He hadn't seen this side of Tama before, the young fox spirit previously being a bubbly creature who seemed to delight in her mischief and chaos. To know that this part of her existed too, thoughtful and caring. Masaji couldn't help but find himself rather charmed by her, much to his own surprise.

"You know, Tama, I haven't heard you talk like this before, but now that I have... I think you might be one of the most mature amongst your sisters after all," he said honestly, unable and unwilling to hide how the woman had impressed him.

Her cheeks flushed red, properly blushing now, and Masaji wondered if the compliment had been too much. He could feel himself blushing too, the brief exchange between them feeling like they were each showing more than they had intended to.

"I suppose I just... I want everyone to... get along."

Her voice was beginning to fade, getting quieter as she trailed off and seemed to lose herself in her own thoughts.

Masaji leaned in closer to hear her. Afterwards he tried to convince himself that was all it was, at least.

Tama reacted quickly, without thinking, leaning up and kissing him. Their lips met only briefly, the rush of instinct grabbing them, and quickly she leaned back, realising in a flash that she had overstepped.

"I think maybe the r-" she began, conjuring an excuse to leave, but Masaji had been caught by that flash of desire too, and suddenly they were kissing again, more passionately. His lips pressed into hers, Tama melting back into it without thought, letting her surging emotions pilot her body as her arms began to creep forward, searching for an embrace.

It lasted only seconds, yet the conflagration their spark had lit continued crackling after both opened their eyes again and quickly stepped away from each other.

"I-I... I didn't- I think the rain... I uh, I lose, I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry, I won't... I'm sorry," Tama stuttered, incapable of forming a working sentence as she went rushing back under cover and looking down at her soaked robes. Her pale skin was flushed, reddening as her mind continued following that kiss down all manner of possible avenues.

Masaji stood in the rain, his own mind reeling as it did the same. His body felt warm. He found himself watching Tama as she left, her damp tail flicking water off as she quickly retreated, giving glimpses of the top of her legs.

It was like standing in a dense fog. He felt his body reacting to the kiss, to the urges it prompted, to the many places that kiss had gone afterwards in his mind's eye.

For a moment he considered following her. Then he caught up with himself, and quickly stepped out of the drizzle, shaking himself off and collapsing down against the wall of the temple, head spinning and a sick sensation of shame rising in his stomach.

He'd made a grave mistake. Worse than that; he'd enjoyed making it.

***

"Masaji?"

The rain was still falling. Was it getting heavier? It was hard to tell. It never truly poured, it was just constant and insistent, wearing away at everyone.

"Masaaajiii?"

It had been a month. Where was Sakuya? There hadn't even been word, but the rain should have stopped by now. He wanted to go after her, but the cavern under the lake was inaccessible to him anyway, completely sealed to those with a permanently corporeal form. So he had to wait, staring at the grey sky and wondering when his mountain goddess would return.

Someone punched him in the arm, and the demon hunter stumbled sideways, forced out of his reverie. He spun, reflexes kicking back in and catching him as he turned to face the perpetrator and was met with one of the fox clan, grinning at him with a fist wrapped in bandages still outstretched where she'd struck him.

"Sorry, were you distracted?" Natsuko wondered facetiously. "I hope that feeble mortal frame could handle a real punch."

His attention well and truly acquired, Masaji righted himself, standing up straight and stretching. "Natsu, what can I do for you?" he wondered.

Her ear twitched, registering his decision to speak to her in an informal manner. Some of the other spirits might have considered that too forward. Natsuko however simply held her grin, drifting upwards as her feet left the ground.

"We've got news," she explained, legs rising to cross underneath her as she hovered before him. "Minako wants us gathering in the main temple."

Now he was truly at attention, watching the fox spirit carefully. "Is it good news or bad news?" he pressed, taking a step towards her.

Natsuko tilted in place. "I wouldn't hold back if I knew, promise," she said, her tilt carrying her further and further until she was nearly upside down. "Minako hasn't told us either, just that there's news."

Nodding, Masaji started moving, making his way out across the grounds heedless of the rain. The network of covered walkways to the temple would have sufficed, but he had no patience for the circuitous route.

Displaying a fluidity more akin to a cat than a fox Natsuko unfolded herself, twisting in midair to float alongside him. "Boy, that got you moving," she observed cheerily, refusing to give the matter the seriousness it warranted. "Calm down, we'd know if she was dead."

He glared at her, and she yawned in reply, brushing a hand through her dark hair. Natsuko seesawed between insufferable and one of his favourites amongst the fox clan depending on the day, being the sort of girl who enjoyed finding pressure points and poking them. For Masaji, news of his wife had become a big one recently, and she was happy to have fun with that after the essentials had been delivered.

Following him out into the rain, she looked down over her clothes and sighed. "Dragging a girl out into this weather. Bet you do this with all the fox girls," she said, swimming through the rain like it was a pool as her clothing became increasingly damp.

Masaji refused to look at her, knowing how the clothing would be pressing against her form. Natsuko in particular seemed to delight in her body causing a stir amongst the men around the mountain, having trimmed her robes down and tapered them in so that they resembled men's work shirts, open at the front entirely too much and frequently flaunting her underwear when she twisted through the air like she was now.

The comment didn't help. For a moment he feared she knew, but he stopped himself from reacting, inwardly reminding himself she was simply talking about Sakuya.

That didn't stop his mind wandering back to Tama though. She'd avoided him ever since their kiss, and he couldn't blame her. Every couple of days he'd had a mind to seek her out, to speak to her, but the desire had fizzled away into cowardice by the time he had the opportunity. In truth he didn't really know what to say to her. He didn't know what she thought of it all, and the potential there was even more concerning.

Natsuko fell quiet, seeing the turmoil in his face and interpreting it as genuine concern for Sakuya. Mercifully, while she enjoyed pushing things, the tomboyish fox spirit had the emotional maturity to stop when she'd hit the line, and she sensed she had here. No doubt she was also concerned for Sakuya's wellbeing, even if it seemed obvious to her that the mountain goddess would be in no true danger.

They crossed the rest of the grounds like that, both quietly stewing in their own thoughts as the rain continued to pour down. Whether or not it was coming down harder now than it had originally, the fact that it had been unceasing for over a month now certainly made it feel worse.

Stepping into the room, Masaji immediately found himself very out of place. The fox clan had assembled, a host of spirits whose outwardly presented forms were those of beautiful women, and himself the one mortal man invited into the fold by a party who wasn't present.

Catching sight of Tama didn't help, their eyes meeting briefly as she surveyed him. The image of him sodden from the rain, dark hair plastered over his face and concern writ large stirring feelings she would have preferred not to acknowledge.

"What news?" he asked bluntly of Minako, who was seated in the middle of the room.

Her blue eyes regarded him, then over to Natsuko who floated over to a spot and stretched out. The irritation that flicked across Minako's face was well-contained. "I believe that's everyone, or near enough," she began, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Tempted as he was to disobey and demand she answer him, Masaji wrestled himself back under control and did as she requested. No need to make a scene, he was supposed to be better than that.

Once he'd found himself a space to sit cross-legged, he returned to staring intently at the acting head of the clan, waiting as close as he could to patiently for her to continue.

Sensing the anticipation, Minako cleared her throat. That the rain continued meant this news was unlikely to be good, but that meant the question became: how bad?

"I received word on Lady Sakuya and Master Reiki's attempts to reinforce the seal beneath the Lake of Pyres. This missive comes from Master Reiki himself. Firstly; our sister is unharmed. Let your minds be at ease about this, Master Reiki has indicated she is in good health."

Letting that hang in the air, the spirit glanced around the room, taking in the signs of relief from amongst her sisters. Masaji himself let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding, leaning back slightly and closing his eyes. She was alright then. That was the biggest anxiety quelled, at least for the time being.

Once she was satisfied everyone in the room had taken a moment to breathe out and express their relief in whatever small fashion they needed, Minako continued.

"There is, of course, more. The rains have not ceased, and we chafe at how it herds us. Not least of which the mortals, who are being kept from their duties while our edicts caution them to remain indoors indefinitely."

A small wave of murmurs. Masaji watched, wondering if the mortal villagers were getting this mention as an olive branch or a backhanded expression of frustration.

"Master Reiki has indicated that interlopers have weakened the seal considerably. The situation is worse than they first feared, and Lady Sakuya is unable to perform the ritual to strengthen the seal, forced to utilise her power instead to prevent it weakening further."

Inaccessible. She was inaccessible to him. Trapped in that cave holding something terrible from spilling free and unable to fix it on her own for fear the time taken to seal one crack would result in two more appearing.

Masaji felt helpless. He knew where this news was going now, and it made him feel useless.

"Our sister calls for aid. Half of us are to depart today for the Lake of Pyres, down into those caverns beneath it where we will assist the mountain goddess in doing more than simply holding the seal in stasis. I will take those amongst us who are capable warriors first, as we may need to deal with these interlopers during the course of this duty. Kiyomi, I would ask you select those most versed in purification and sealing rituals to make up the remaining numbers. The situation is at a standstill, but we must make haste to support Lady Sakuya, lest it deteriorate."

Tama's comment came back to him, watching how Minako's teeth were bared as she rose and began outlining their path forward. A general, not a mountain goddess. In this moment that might very well have been what the mountain needed, and he found himself oddly grateful for her.

The room began to descend into cacophony as the clan began preparing and discussing, some in smaller groups together while others called out over heads.

He spotted Kiyomi, the eldest of the sisters, her gaze sweeping across the clan as she selected her best students and sisters. Masaji's brown eyes met her blue ones, and she spared him a warm, sympathetic smile. He returned it; Kiyomi had always been kind to him, a matronly figure amongst the clan who seemed to enjoy playing the part, her hair long since having shifted to a silvery cascade to reflect her seniority, and her body fitting the image of a doting mother in ways the rain-soaked Masaji suddenly found himself appreciating more.

"Don't have too much fun while I'm gone," Natsuko sighed, elbowing him again in what was fast becoming an honoured tradition of interrupting his thoughts with violence.

He looked at her, a sudden desire to be snide. "What makes you think Minako will want someone as irritating as you going down there?" he wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

The grin she gave him said that on some level she'd taken that personally. "When I get back, you and I are going to spar," she said in a low tone. "And then I'm going to explain to my sister why her husband can't give it to her for a month because his ribs are busted worse than his balls."

Caught off guard by the crass response, Masaji didn't have time to come up with a retort before Natsuko had vanished, making her way over to Minako who sighed and nodded at her approach. In truth, that wasn't much of a surprise -- it was a well-known fact Natsuko was one of the best warriors in the clan.

Left alone, he watched as the crowd shifted several times, lines beginning to appear between those going and those staying. Masaji was painfully aware of which group he was in, moving to the back of the room and watching as they continued to plan for the journey.

He watched Kiyomi lecturing one of her younger sisters before noticing Minako peel off from her group and approach him. Her mouth was set in a line, but he appreciated that she was giving him the decency of discussion rather than simply leaving without a word, knowing as they both did that he couldn't join them.

"Masaji," she acknowledged, standing before him, tail swishing.

"Minako," he responded with a nod.

She seemed to expect him to say more, but when he remained silent she gave a nod back. "I'm sorry you can't come with us," she said, and he knew that despite the frustration with each other they shared she was genuinely sorry their target lay beyond his reach.

It took another moment as he searched for the words, Masaji filling it with a sigh. "Just... bring her back safe, Minako," he said eventually. "I know she can handle herself, but if she needs help and I can't be the one to give it then... just please. Help her."

The fox spirit gave an awkward nod, taking a step back as she prepared to return to the clan. Pausing, she turned back to him, something else on her mind. "Oh, uh... hmm, how do I put this...?" she wondered, and Masaji was surprised to find Minako seemed to be at a loss.

"Is... everything alright?" he wondered, tilting his head.

"It's..." Minako sighed, steeling herself. "It's Tama."

A cold lump formed in his stomach.

"She's been out of sorts lately, and she refuses to talk about it. You seem to get along with her quite well, so if you could... no, in fact, I give my word I will return with my sister, but I want your word you will speak with Tama and help her through whatever she's going through," she said, finding that in making it a trade like this she felt less awkward asking a mortal for help in spirit matters.

For his part, Masaji was glad to still be drying from the rain. It made the sudden sweat he developed less noticeable. "I... I don't..."

"I want your word, Masaji," Minako said, her eyes boring into him. His awkwardness was uncharacteristic about this, and her eyes began to narrow, puzzling through the reasons for that.

A spike of fear. How canny was Minako? Surely it wouldn't be so obvious after just one... he needed to stop thinking this through. "You have my word, I'll take care of Tama," he said quickly, an aggressive nod punctuating his point. "And you... you take care of Sakuya."

Minako seemed a little thrown by the way he was acting, but as she stepped back again he was confident it would be put down to his worry. Nodding, she responded. "You have my word," she promised. "Stay safe, Masaji. Oh, and maybe try to stay dry. I already told you I'm tired of mortals ignoring the edicts."

The last she delivered with a little more mirth, a half-smile cracking on her lips before she turned away from him and wandered back into the group.

Tama wouldn't be departing with them then. He scanned the clan and found her near Kiyomi's group of priestesses, her eyes already on him and watching his exchange with Minako.

The look they shared was one of knowing that they could hide from each other no longer.

It was time to have a difficult conversation.

***

They found each other in the grove, Tama peering into the sacred spring and watching the ripples run across its surface from the cover of a nearby tree. Occasionally droplets would filter down through the leaves to land in her hair, but the energy of the mountain goddess' sanctum purified it before it had reached her.

It was perhaps the only place on the mountain one could enjoy the rain without fear of its festering influence creeping in. At least for now.

Masaji paced across the grass slowly, an umbrella in hand. The walk up here had been slow, dragging his feet in the hopes that at least the rain might cease as he walked and confirm for them that better days were approaching.

It was not to be. Minako and half the clan had departed by midday, setting off for the Lake of Pyres to assist Lady Sakuya, and that meant he and Tama were among those remaining on a much, much quieter mountain.

For a mercy that meant there would be fewer to witness their behaviour together if this discussion went... poorly.

"Knew I'd find you here," he said finally, a little awkwardly as he wondered how to broach things.

"I've been waiting for you," she said without looking up, red eyes drifting on the surface of the water as it continued to drink in the rain.

Masaji gave a nod, having assumed as much, and remained quiet, hoping she would offer something to start their discussion. When it didn't come, he cleared his throat, thinking to speak his mind.

"Ah, so..." he began poorly, his thoughts impossible to articulate as they blitzed through his mind one after another like bolts of lightning. "I... er, suppose we should talk about... it."

Tama looked up, a well of sincerity in her eyes that held him in silence. "If it had been a stupid mistake I could have shrugged it off," she said quietly. "I wanted it to be a stupid mistake. Whoops, got caught up in the moment, don't I feel dumb?"

Masaji swallowed. It wouldn't have felt completely right to simply dismiss it like that, but a part of him had hoped they both agreed it had been something stupid and forgettable.

Standing up, Tama dusted herself off, her long, fluffy tail rising and pulling her robes with it unconsciously. She hurried to tug them back down, her face going red. "I... don't think I've ever been so excited to do anything in my entire life," she admitted, the red deepening. "I don't think I've ever felt that kind of... passion."

He needed to interject, to curb some of what she was saying and turn her thoughts towards dismissing it. The way she was talking made him feel like he was in danger, yet Masaji couldn't bring himself to cut Tama off as she bared her feelings.

"You... have always met me at my level. There's no need to worry about conventions or what is appropriate between spirits and humans or anything like that. I've never felt quite so seen... and I think for a while I confused that feeling. I think I still might be, I don't know..."

There was his opening. "Tama..." he began, stepping a little closer. "It's... it's alright to confuse things sometimes, it doesn't make you a bad person. We should have talked about this sooner- I should have talked to you sooner."

"Maybe..." she nodded, looking back to the pool. "We could blame it on the rain, but I don't think that's fair."

Glancing up at the tainted rain, keeping the umbrella in place above his head, Masaji considered what potential impact it might have had on them. It would be easy to point to it and let themselves believe its influence was the cause. Push any other feelings aside and forget about it to preserve that peace.

"I think... its influence is worth remembering," he said slowly, careful to try and avoid scapegoating it entirely.

A small smile appeared on her face, her eyes sliding back to him, and he could tell she knew at least some of what he was thinking. "It would be convenient. But the rain here isn't tainted, and we're still having this conversation. I'm still thinking these thoughts every day, even when there isn't a drop on me."

The demon hunter remained quiet for a few moments, turning to regard the pool as well. "Minako and the others will go and help Sakuya... then she will return," he said definitively, realising if he let Tama continue to talk herself through she might wind up reaching conclusions neither of them could allow.

"She will," Tama said eventually, sensing his pivot towards finding a way to put this to rest. "I'm no fool, I dare not consider what the mountain goddess may do if she feels wronged in such a way... and I wouldn't..."

The words trailed off, leaving Masaji to fill in the blanks. "It... was not to be," he said finally.

She looked at him again, this time her eyes searching. "You haven't told me," Tama said, the faintest hint of irritation at that. "I want to know how you feel."

The request was like a dagger, carving him open and leaving him bare. He had entertained this kind of vulnerability with Tama once before, and it had gotten him here. Entertaining it again... though, he couldn't deny that he owed it to her. Could he thread this needle with the tact and grace he needed?

"I... hmm," he started, stopping and considering carefully how he would speak. "I feel shame that I allowed my feelings to eclipse my duty to Sakuya. That I found myself confused..."

Her ears drooped, the dampness in her hair suddenly looking even more pathetic. "How do you feel about... me?" she asked quietly, and he sensed the way she had mentally flinched when his first thoughts were to be ashamed of what they had done.

So much for tact.

"Tama... I think you are wonderful," he said honestly, seeing the tears beginning to form and feeling keenly aware they were his doing. In trying to explain himself he had inadvertently given her reason to think she was solely responsible.

"You see yourself as immature, but you have a wisdom many in the fox clan have yet to show. You are free-spirited, unapologetically yourself. You bring joy to your sisters and to all those around you. It would not be strange at all to... to uh..."

Too much. Her sorrow had moved him, and now he was overstepping.

Looking up at him, the tears still in the corners of her eyes, she waited, expectantly. As though some part of her knew what he was going to say, and was clinging to it in a way he didn't like.

"I don't want us to leave this grove and become strangers," Masaji managed finally, pivoting to try once more at explaining his feelings. "I don't want what happened to necessitate that distance. I would like us to remain... friends."

There it was. The word that would sound a death knell for the desires they dared not speak. He saw the way her heart broke to hear it, but knew it had to be done. It was the truth -- he wanted nothing more than to leave this grove knowing that in time at least the two could remain friends, joyously bantering and sharing the halls of the temple.

Both remained in silence, the tears beginning to flow as Tama let them, tilting her head up and stepping into the rain to disguise them. To let herself be cleansed by that downpour.

He didn't move. Taking a step back to retreat now would sever the bond in totality.

The unceasing rain continued to drizzle down, Tama's tears indistinguishable now. Perhaps they were spent already, nothing but the bounty of the heavens running across her cheeks. At last, though, she spoke. Her voice was unwavering, the sorrow having been washed from her.

"Then let us be friends once we depart this grove," she said. "But before that happens, I would ask one thing of you, Masaji."

Her eyes opened, turning upon him, and he saw something new in her. A decision had been made.

"Here in this grove where we are not friends but something else... let me indulge once more and share a kiss with you in the rain. Not some flight of fancy or rush of tainted emotions. Let us choose this together, without pretence, and then let us choose to be friends beyond the bounds of this sacred place."

A flush of warmth crept into Masaji's chest. A flash of excitement he didn't want acknowledge. If he turned away now would she still be the same Tama he had known before? There would be an irreparable distance.

Yet if he did as she asked, would that distance only widen once they parted? Would it, alternatively, shrink in ways that would only make the shame burn brighter? He had called her mature beyond what she believed about herself, but could she take this indulgence without it prompting those seeds to bloom?

Could he?

Tama's gaze held him, unwavering and resolute. This was her compromise, some part of her hoping it would allow them to end things on a sweeter note than the awkwardness that had dogged them the past days.

He folded the umbrella, feeling the rain begin to dapple his skin, his hair quickly sticking to his forehead. It did feel soothing. Perhaps they truly could cleanse themselves here.

They stepped closer, Masaji looking down at Tama, their height difference necessitating she stand on her tiptoes if she didn't want to float. He bent lower to accommodate, their faces drifting closer and closer. A blush crept across both their cheeks, a sudden bashfulness at what they were doing.

Neither made the final move to cross that distance independently, their lips drifting together in a slow haze of mutually assured destruction. Both recognised the danger as they looked into the other's eyes, felt the way their bodies began to heat, the primal aspects of their mind lighting up.

Either one of them could have paused. Either one could have pulled back. Even hesitation could have given the other a moment to snap free of the magnetism they felt towards each other.

The chance at that moment of clarity passed. Their lips connected.

At first both simply stood, kissing each other with an almost nervous energy, as though both were experiencing their first.

Then Tama's arms rose, curling around Masaji's shoulders, and he felt his respond in kind, winding down to wrap around her waist. Without thinking he pulled her closer, and in the small gasp she made her lips parted, tongue extending forward. His was already there to meet it, the kiss deepening as passion began to flow between them. Her arms tightened around him, pulling herself closer. He pressed himself into her, arms tightening to keep her body against his.

Somewhere in his mind Masaji knew he'd made a grave mistake, but Tama's lips and tongue were so enticing. The way her petite frame slipped in against his was intoxicating. He wondered what might have been going through her head, whether the same tug to pull herself free and stop this deterioration was present but losing, or whether this had been what she'd hoped for from the start.

The thoughts were rapidly vanishing though as he felt how warm she was. His body was responding, a burning welling up within as his hands gripped at her waist. "Tama..." he managed, drifting away for her for just a moment.

There was an intention that he follow with something. Tell her that they couldn't do this. That they needed to stop. Say anything else. But all he managed was to breathe her name, and he saw the way it fanned her flames.

"Masaji..." she responded, taking it as his permission. An admission of desire.

Her lips pressed back against his, and now there was an unrestrained hunger in her kiss, tongue exploring his mouth with a newfound sense of greed. He couldn't stop her. He was no longer sure he wanted to. If he did, surely he would have by now.

They wallowed in their connection, arms around each other tightly, pressing their bodies together as Tama drifted upwards, letting her feet at last leave the damp earth to rise up to his level and better press herself against him. One hand found the nape of his neck, diving under the fabric of his shirt to feel the warm, damp skin beneath and squeeze, digging her fingers in to savour the touch.

The fox spirit's tail was swishing in the air behind her, rising up in delight as the animal part of her voiced its approval.

As she rose up, Masaji shifted his arms, her sudden ascent and the way her robes were shifting leading him to grab at her lower than he had intended. He felt his hand close over the supple flesh through the fabric, felt the pulse of shock ripple through Tama and into his body.

The kiss stopped as she leaned back, looking at him with suddenly wide eyes. Then both her eyelids and her ears drooped, a coy smile forming that told him without words that she hadn't minded the contact. An invitation in her gaze that promised nothing pure, exhilarating bliss now and a storm of regret later.

Masaji was the one who leaned forward this time, rejoining their kiss and taking the opportunity to explore her mouth now. He squeezed, prompting a little squeal from deep in Tama's throat as her face went even more red, tilting her head back a little and opening her mouth wider to let him take as he pleased.

Her fingers dug into his skin harder, nails beginning to rake at his back as the other hand found its way down beneath the fabric to join in.

One of her legs began to rise, curling around his hip as she began to coil herself around him harder, the sense of hunger subsuming her now as neither found it in themselves to pull away, sliding deeper and deeper into the indulgence.

Once they left the grove they had agreed it was over, after all.

What happened before then, though...

Leaning back at last, her teeth nibbling at Masaji's tongue as it finally retreated, Tama gazed at him, no longer restraining her feelings. "Masaji... I don't feel quite so confused anymore."

Her robes opened further, shoulders slipping free as she shrugged the sleeves off. The fabric drooped lower, exposing the top of her chest, and Masaji let his eyes wander down to the soft pale skin there.

Tama smiled delightedly at the hunger in his gaze. Amongst the fox clan she didn't consider herself anything special, but evidently this man had found a desire for her all the same, and she for him in equal measure.

"Beyond the bounds of this sacred place let us choose to be friends," she purred, echoing what she'd asked of him before. "But here within it... would you become something more with me?"

No. That was all he needed to say to snap out of this dream, to stop this domino chain of ruination he had become a willing participant in. But then, was it already too late? Was the damage done? In which case...

When he lunged forward this time he didn't go for her lips again, but the bared skin of her neck, raining soft kisses upon it, letting his teeth gently bite into her to communicate his desires, the urge to suck and leave more obvious marks there welling up.

Tama let out a throaty moan, voicing her approval of his answer and letting the robe fall lower. His hand was there instantly, helping tug it down her arm, helping open it so that his hands could find her skin, just as hers had found his.

His mouth continued, lifting her up higher as he continued to smother her neck and collar with affections, kissing and nibbling her, reacting to each breath and moan as their hands went to work undressing the other, reaching wherever they could to undo knots and pull free tucked fabric.

At last it came time to part again, and this time both found their aggression, Tama leaning off him and with one sharp movement tearing open the rest of her robes, floating before the human in nothing but her damp underwear. Masaji worked quickly to reciprocate, shrugging the rest of his robe out of the way and letting his pants fall into a damp heap around his legs, stepping out to get closer to Tama once more.

"No," she breathed, floating back a pace and raising one finger, eyes wide and staring at him. "All of it."

Overcome now, Masaji met her there. "You first," he said, eyes roaming the soft skin of the fox spirit, the delicate way her hips flared, the flush of red on her neck where he'd doted on her, the way her tail was nearly wagging with delight.

The fox girl gave him a coy smile. "Together," was her counteroffer.

They shed their remaining vestments with enthusiasm, uncaring now where they were as long as they could see more of each other.

Tama's eyes drifted down his waist to the inevitable destination, as Masaji's eyes raked over her chest and then down between her legs, taking the sight of her body in in the basest fashion.

There was a moment of quiet, nothing but their breath and the rain falling upon the sacred grove. They simply appreciated each other, lost in the desire for one another without any thoughts to what would come after.

Coyly, Tama's tail flicked around her waist, obscuring what she'd already showed off as one arm crossed over her chest, obscuring her hardened teats from Masaji's sight. The look on her face said it was no sudden attack of shyness, but rather a challenge.

Masaji played along, lunging at her now and pinning her back against the tree she'd been moping beneath only a short while ago. Her red eyes went wide at the show of force, an excitement in her, her tail quickly flicking aside and her arm going from censoring herself to gripping his bicep.

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked, tilting her head down as his cock inched closer to her, the arousal obvious even before he'd disrobed and basked in the sight of her.

Her hips pushed closer, eager for the obvious answer. Tama's body already felt damp, but the heat between her legs told her it wasn't all rain on her thighs now.

The question made him pause, and once again she could see him consider what was happening, guilt trying to quash the desire that had been seizing control.

He pressed closer though, his hips not interested in what self-flagellation his mind could produce, and Tama let out another gasp as she felt him press into the tender place between her legs, the dampness of her folds sliding over his head.

"Let me show you," he breathed, pressing forward harder, rubbing against her labia and digging against her bullishly, his pent-up urges speaking now as Tama simply tilted her head back and let out a moan.

He held her like that, rubbing against her without pressing in any further, the angle not quite right to make that first true thrust, and his shuddering desire once again having to fight off the raging storm of guilt boiling beneath the surface.

"Here within the grove..." he said quietly, walling off this place as somewhere his obligations were different. "What are we, here within the grove?"

Tama's eyes blazed with desire, her hips working at him as much as his pressed at her. She pushed off the tree, floating a little higher to change the angle, one of her hands going to his cheek.

She wanted to say something that sounded romantic. To say that they were lovers here, and only here, that right now they existed outside the world and could take this fragmentary moment for what it was even if never again. That they could cleanse themselves of these shameful feelings here and let them wash out of their bodies with the rain, expel these demons from their minds and never be subject to those quiet moments of wondering what if.

Masaji pressed into her a little further, Tama feeling her nethers beginning to part, and all her grace and articulation crumbled. Slumping forward she pressed her forehead to his, eyes wide as her mouth opened in a silent, feral growl.

"Fuck me," she breathed, letting herself sink lower and welcome him inside.

He thrust up to join her, and Tama's eyes fluttered, rolling up. He wasn't her first, but Tama had never felt such a strong connection with a partner before, and the way her body thrummed with delight told her this was different.

The fox girl's legs rose, wrapping around the human's waist as her arms found their way up around his neck, clinging to him with an eager desire. Growling, she slid down further, pushing herself over him and savouring the way he pressed against her insides.

Masaji grabbed her, hands winding around her hips to grip her ass, fingers digging into the skin with much more vigour than that first accidental grab. Tama vastly preferred it now, the deliberate and aggressive way he held her, using the leverage to pull her body closer, to help lift her up slightly so that he could position himself and then thrust up into her even better.

She didn't even need to keep herself floating, the demon hunter was a prime specimen of humanity, easily able to handle the petite fox girl by himself, holding her up as she clung to him, needy and wanting and eager for everything he had to give.

Another thrust, deeper still, his hands ceasing to hold her up for a moment, letting her body weight help her swallow more of him before his grip returned, fiercer than ever and keeping her pinned close against him.

Growling, overcome by the sensation, she leaned in and began to reciprocate his affections on her neck. Her teeth were sharper, and she needed to hold herself in check as she began to bite at him ravenously, her eagerness compounded by the pleasure emanating upwards from her pussy. If he left this grove as simply a friend, it would be one covered in bite marks. While he was here, he was her man, and she needed -- really, truly needed -- to express that as physically as she possibly could.

The grunt from him wasn't one of pain, just of shock at how forceful she was being. His delight was clear, happy now to be drawn deeper into this base back and forth as they tested the lengths the other would go to in expressing this rampant affection for one another. Her lips widened into a grin, but she refused to stop biting. Couldn't stop herself, even if she'd wanted to. Not while she felt so full. So satisfied-yet-unsatisfied.

A sharp crack sounded through the grove, and her teeth sank in especially hard, a bolt of sensation rippling up from where he'd spanked her. Shocked at herself, she paused, opening her jaw again and looking at the deep indents her teeth had left, the bruising and small spot of red where one of her fangs had broken the skin in her overstimulated response.

Then came another, this one harder than the first, as though testing the limits of what she could take, and Tama let out a girlish squeal of delight, pressing against him and letting out a ragged breath. The urge to bite hard nearly overwhelmed her faculties again, but she chose a different path of devolution, beginning to lick at the spot she'd savaged with overeager enthusiasm, stopping only to let out another moan as Masaji thrust into her even harder.

Hips working to meet each thrust, there was little conscious thought left in the fox girl, animal instinct totally overwhelming her as she wallowed in the pleasure of sex.

Her body ground against Masaji, hips bucking and gyrating as her pussy squeezed him, breasts pressed against his bare chest and nipples rubbing against his skin leaving tingling trails of sensation.

Tilting his head, Masaji looked down at her, a powerful rush of desire as he saw the way she was licking at him, pupils dilated and lost in the sensation and urgency. He spanked her again, even harder, and she paused for a moment. Her mouth opened wide, ready to let out perhaps another squeal or yelp, but he chose that moment to drop her lower, grinding himself in as far as he could and feeling her wet thighs press against his legs.

Tama's mouth opened even wider, her tongue extending outward and a growl emanating from deep within her, one that communicated a profound sense of satisfaction.

Finally her head tilted, and she spotted him looking at her, watching her animal reactions and delighting in them as he wound her up further. Unable to make her tongue retreat, her grin looked increasingly deranged, too drunk on the pleasure to convince herself to show any composure.

Instead she simply lunged up, forcing her tongue into his mouth instead and sealing her lips over his, plunging back into a sloppy kiss as her hips began to work harder and harder, a purr rolling up through her throat.

It was almost cute the way she'd lost herself. More than that, though, it just made him eager to do the same, his hips thrusting with increasing ferocity as he gloried in how wet she was, how easily her body took him, loosing a growl of his own to meet her purrs as she squeezed around his shaft.

With their lips sealed it was harder to wantonly thrust, yet somehow the passion she engulfed him with made everything feel even better, his thrusts becoming slower and more measured, yet her tongue gleefully dancing in his mouth set stars dancing in his eyes, opening them to see hers rolled back, her hips beginning to shake as she pressed against him harder and harder, clinging to him as though for dear life.

The mounting pleasure would hit its peak soon, he could feel it rising up within him, body humming with need, yet Masaji held out, eager to indulge for as long as he could, to savour what he still told himself would only be a one-off thing. If it was their lot to give this up afterwards, then he wanted -- needed -- to make it something Tama would remember for the rest of her long centuries of life.

For her part, Tama didn't even seem to remember her own name anymore, tongue swirling in his mouth before retreating and letting his follow where she could nibble at it and dance hers about on home turf, hips wiggling and bucking eagerly with each thrust, her claws digging into his back so firmly he wasn't sure anything would be able to pry her off except an orgasm.

Finally they broke, the pleasure beginning to mount in Masaji such that his body demanded more eager and forceful thrusting. Unrestrained by their locked lips, he could drag her up and down the length of his shaft more easily, squeezing her ass possessively and taking his moments when she dropped down to swallow him to the hilt to deliver further spanks.

Her mouth no longer occupied, the frenzied pleasure of Masaji's rapid tempo helping push her towards her own climax, Tama let herself devolve further. It was becoming an addictive delight to let herself fall lower and lower, to stop caring and voice whatever obscene thing came into her mind.

As Masaji fucked her as hard as he could, her body clinging to him in the rain as she groaned and purred for him, she began to urge him on. "I want it, Masaji. Fuck me, fuck me, I want it, give it to me, you're gonna give it to me aren't you?"

He growled, finding himself pulled from his animalistic reverie somewhat by her decision to speak, but she was undeterred, pressing against him and squeezing her breasts against his body as the madness of her desire continued to carry her deeper into this heaven of depravity.

"Can you feel it? I'm losing my mind, it's so good, I want it, I want it, Masajiiii," she groaned, licking at his neck again. A snarl peeled from her as he aimed a particularly hard slap at her ass.

"I'm all wound up. I can't stop. Masajiiii, fuck me hard. Fuck me hard and cum in meeee. I want it, I want it so much, it's like I'm in heat, you're fucking me into heat, I'm gonna turn into a dumb fox who can't think of anything except mating!"

He began to pant, her infectious madness creeping into him. They'd gone too far, but now that they had what more was there to lose? If the result of stopping now or carrying this all the way to its furthest conclusion were the same, then pleasure was the only thing left to forfeit.

Masaji spanked her. Hard. Tama snarled and bit him, and he gave her another before hilting himself again. The animal sounds she made said he was treating her correctly. "Maybe you really are in heat," he said finally, pulling her up his length and holding her there for a moment to let her wait for the inevitable thrust back in.

"I am," she said eagerly, clawing at his shoulders, hips wiggling and tail practically wagging with delight. "I'm in heat, I'm in heat, I just want cum, I want a mate who fucks me stupid, I'm just a dumb greedy fox who wants cum."

He grinned, finding a growing part of himself enjoying the way Tama had been so overwhelmed by the pleasure that she found it arousing to debase herself. "I suppose there's only one thing to do with a greedy fox who can't think straight without getting filled up."

The fox girl looked at him, wide-eyed and feral as he joined her in the debasement of herself. She was practically vibrating with need, with eagerness for more, with the earth rending desire for what was coming. But she waited. She wanted to hear Masaji say it.

The human dragged her back down, forcing himself inside her with one final thrust and leaning up over her so that he could speak directly into her ear. It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep his voice straight as he felt the oncoming rush, the white-hot orgasm burning through him as he prepared to loose himself. Not before he said it, though.

"Stuff her full of cum until she can't take any more."

The first eruption surged from him, filling Tama and quickly followed by more. His hands squeezed her ass, holding her body tight against him as she wiggled and ground her hips eagerly, nudged over the edge of her own orgasm by the way he'd impaled her. Tilting back, her mouth opened in a soundless scream of pleasure, held there as shockwaves began to roll up and down her body.

Tama wasn't new to sex, she had after all lived for centuries, but as she felt the wildfire of tingling sensation blaze up from the core of her being, warm needles piercing her through like arrows of bliss, she was confident she'd never gotten it this good before.

Masaji leaned back, his hips becoming active again as he began to saw into her, coaxing more cum from his body as the sensations poured through him, radiating outwards from where he was joined with the fox girl, mind feeling numb and hazy as he felt the release of tension, his whole body surging with the pent-up desire of waiting for his next round of sex.

Basking in the sensations his eyes tilted back down to watch as Tama continued to quiver and shake. The violence tearing through her said that perhaps even more pent-up need was being released from her own body, her tail beating at the air viciously as she convulsed.

Under her breath she rasped words, spasms in her muscles as the pleasure continued radiating along her nervous system prompting twitches and jerks, her pussy squeezing at him.

The human leaned closer. "Stuff me full... stuff me full until I can't take anymore..." she whispered, stuck on the final words that had pushed them both over the edge.

Grinning, he began licking at her neck as she had done to him, and Tama suddenly came alive again, her arms clawing at his shoulder and tugging him in close, pressing him against the skin of her neck.

"Do it," she growled in delight. "Do it, bite me. Mark me as your mate, do it. I want it, let them all see. I don't care, just pump more into me. Fill me. Fill this stupid fox with more cum and fuck me silly. Mark me, Masaji. I'm your mate now."

His lips pressed over her neck, and he began to suck at the skin, planting a love bite there as she purred with delight, hips wiggling and pussy squeezing him once again.

By the time he drew back the bruise was dark and bold, obvious against her pale skin but low enough that her robes would be able to hide it. A secret mark that said she had given in to her desires, and he to his.

Slowly the waves of pleasure began to fade and his body was finally able to be consciously aware of the stamina it had expended. They lowered themselves to the ground, yet Tama refused to move off him, clinging tightly until he slid down to sit cross-legged on the grass beside the spring.

Shuddering, she went back to licking his neck where she had broken the skin, pussy refusing to relinquish his cock even now that they were done. Every time she squeezed he felt himself react, the overwhelming sensations of orgasm and his own refractory period leaving him at a loss for sensation, though still keenly aware of how they were joined.

Neither said anything for a long time, the weight of what they'd done finally beginning to settle back upon them, their minds for the moment free enough to reckon with their actions.

"What now?" Masaji asked at last, unable to hide the question any longer.

Tama continued licking at his neck as she thought, before nuzzling into the dip there under his chin. "We said when we leave this grove we return to being friends," she said simply.

He looked up at the sky, feeling the rain upon his skin. He was almost certain it had gotten heavier now.

"Just like that?" he wondered. Would he look at Tama and think 'friend' when he thought of the bruise he'd made on her neck just below the line of her robe? Would he walk past her and see the way her tail lifted and not think of how it had felt to make her squeal with his rough spanking?

"Just like that," she said softly, unable to help herself from returning to licking. "But we never said when we had to leave the grove."

Masaji smiled, a small chuckle. "We can't stay here forever," he said quietly, almost apologetic to be the one to bring reality into that idea.

"I know," Tama protested. "Just... a bit longer."

"Fine."

He held her there, the fox girl several centuries his senior and yet in that moment seeming perhaps a little younger than him, eager to prolong their reverie as much as she could.

Finally, her licking stopped, and she leaned off him. A coy smile appeared again at the way his eyes unfailingly dropped to take in her bare chest before back up to her eyes, pleased that her body could be so distracting after spending decades comparing herself to women like Kiyomi.

"Besides..."

Masaji had already thought it, wondered if maybe it had simply been the way she had phrased it, but he knew deep down just as she did; it had been said that way deliberately.

"Here in this grove," he said, feeling both defeat and excitement at what she'd meant.

The fox girl smiled, feeling the way he began to thicken inside her once more and knowing it was unlikely they would return to the temple before the sun set.

"We can always come back here if we want to stop being... friends."