You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
In the shop
There is a table with a sign saying
<strong>Free Sample:</strong>
Take one
On the table there is a fridge with a range of liquids. Also on the table are various magical trinkets including costumes. What would you like to take, or would you like to buy something?
Written by catprog on 10 April 2003
Other
You decide to get something else. But what?
Written by catprog on 13 December 2005
The spray bottle
You get the spray bottle. Now what are you going to do with it?
Written by on 19 October 2004
Spray it on your hair.
You spray some of it on to your hair.
You notice a mirror and look in to it.
To your shock you notice that...
Written by on 19 October 2004
Your ears have become fox-like
<spanFullTF> Much to your surprise the back of your ears starts to grow red fur with the inside growing white fur.
As you watch your ears migrate to the top of your head changing into a triangle shape as they do so.
You look in the mirror and a nearby picture of a fox and realise that your ears are now fox ears.<spanFullTF>
You then...
Written by on 19 October 2004
Fox In A Can (TM)
You hold up the can to read the label, but it is in some strange alphabet you have never seen before. Maybe there is an English version on the other side?
You turn over the can without changing your grasp, and just as the nozzle is pointing straight at your face you accidentally push the button. The canned magic sprays right at you, making your eyes water and your throat burn as you inhale a few drops.
As you stand doubled over coughing, you feel your head getting front heavy, and as you clear the tears from your eyes the first thing you see is something big and red between them. Turning to the mirror you find that your mouth and nose have turned into a pretty vulpine muzzle, complete with black upturned snout at the tip and fangs in the mouth. And your eyes.... wow! Fox eyes to be sure.
Your fox ears pick up the sound of someone clearing their throat next to you, and as you turn away from the mirror you see the shopkeeper looking at you.
"Please continue your experiments outside," he says dryly.
"We don't want the potion to get on anything but you. Besides, sooner or later you'll want to undress, and that should not be done in public."
You ponder for a moment and yip softly in reply. Oops, looks like some of that stuff got on your vocal cords when you inhaled.
"Quite so," the shopkeeper admits. He seems to have a better idea about what you're saying with your new voice than you have yourself! "Oh, and you may want this. Just in case you haven't got any at home."
He hands you a bar of soap, and you stare at it for a moment before you realize that you don't have any magic soap at home, and certainly no one would expect you to.So that remark must mean it's ordinary soap.Which means...
Of course. You suddenly have a flashback to a story you read as a kid, about an evil witch who didn't realize her spray-on potions could be neutralized simply by washing them off with soap and water. Well, if it's that easy to cancel this magic you're going to have some fun with it! Maybe even come back and buy another can later... if it's not too expensive, but then they wouldn't be handing out free samples, would they?
The shopkeeper takes the can from you, shakes it and hands it back. "It has been used a couple of times," he observes, "but there should be enough left to cover your whole body if you spray thinly."
You want to ask if a thin layer will be enough for a complete transformation, but realize that you probably wouldn't want to go that far. And if you do it would be a good idea to get someone to help both with the spray and the cleaning up. And how are you supposed to clean your throat anyway...?
Written by Won-Tolla on 26 May 2007
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Fox
Twenty minutes later you arrive safely home after learning a bit about your fellow humans. To wit, most people will treat unusual sights as if they were invisible. You actually walked through town with a fox face without causing more than a few raised eyebrows. A couple of kids would point and stare, but their parents - or whoever they were with - soon put an end to that.
Slightly disappointed, you lock the door and take the time to check your messages before you pick up the magic spray can and walk into the bath. You stand pondering your new face in the mirror while shaking the can and estimating that it's about half full. Now according to what the shopkeeper said, you can just wash off the transformation and start over later, but that would be so much spray wasted, and you don't know how long it would last. Better to continue from here...
Keeping the shopkeeper's advice in mind, you kick off your shoes, take off your clothes and fold them up before putting them to the side. Now...
Looking at your fox face again you realize there is something about it that you can't quite put your finger on. Somehow it's not quite what you would have expected - if you had expected something in the first place, that is! There is a word at the tip of your tongue that you can't speak with your current voice...
On a sudden impulse you bend over and spray your crotch. To your surprise it feels cold. Or rather, you feel as if you're cold. There is shrinking and pulling in, and suddenly, as the song goes, you're not half the man you used to be. To put it bluntly, you are female downstairs.
Vixen! That is the word you were looking for. Looking up at the mirror again, you notice the feminine features that eluded you earlier. You pick up the can and look at it. The lettering is as cryptic as ever, but you notice a small sign on the side. A pink Venus symbol.
No wonder the shopkeeper smirked as he handed you the can!
It's a vixen spray...
Written by Won-Tolla on 30 May 2007
Step By Step
So, you say to yourself as you examine the cryptic spray can again, there is a vixen at the bottom of the can. But what kind? After thinking about it for a minute you lift the can and spray quickly across your chest.
The fur comes in first, red on the sides and white in the middle. You wait. Then the swelling starts, and you nod. You don't know much about foxes but you do know ordinary ones don't have breasts, so it looks like the vixen in your future is anthropomorphic and not a four-legger. Or maybe the amount of spray used is the determining factor? That would explain your all-fox voice (which sounds rather feminine too when you think about it) - you did get quite a blast down your throat back in the shop. You may have been a bit heavy on the button "downstairs" too...
To test your theory you spray lightly on both sides of your left hand. It shrinks and darkens, turning small and dainty, black and furry - but it remains a hand, not a paw. Looking at your fingertips you realize that you don't have fingerprints any more. Not that you plan anything that would make that handy (!), but it's nice to know nonetheless.
You put down the can and clap your uneven hands for a bit before you realize there is something else you have to try before going on. Actually it may be a bit late if it doesn't work.
Stepping over to the washbasin, you turn on the tap and run the water about as hot as you can bear, then after a moment's hesitation you shove your fox hand under the tap and start scrubbing it with the other. Nothing happens. Your hands get wet and warm, but there is no magic moment. Did the shopkeeper lie to you??
No, wait, he handed you a soap bar, right? It's in your bag out in the hall, but if it's as ordinary as you assumed earlier you have what you need right here. You grab a soap bottle, squirt out a healthy dollop in your free hand and proceed to work up a lather and rub it into your handfur.
Nothing continues to happen. You move your soapy hands under the tap to rinse off, and just like that they are both back to normal.
Fascinating. So clean water isn't enough, it takes soap as well. Of course nobody would want a transformation that runs off as soon as you go for a swim or get caught out in the rain!
Having verified that the way back remains open, you ponder going further. You have to go one way or the other anyhow - you look totally weird with random vixen parts.
After rinsing and drying your hands and doing some general cleanup (taking care not to get soap on your transformed parts) you proceed to transform your hands, arms, shoulders, neck and the upper part of your chest. Then you sit down and do your legs. The fur and colors come out fine, but the legs still don't look quite right, so you give them another round and watch in fascination as your joints shift and you become a digitigrade. Now that's going to take some getting used to!
You put away the spray can, stand up and walk carefully around enjoying the new spring in your step. You still look weird naked, but now you have transformed all the parts that show when you are clothed. To test this, you pick up your clothes, put them on and look in the mirror.
Blah. The visible parts look fine but your plain figure doesn't really do them justice - apart from the bulge up front there isn't really anything feminine about it. You look like a tomboy. Or should that be a todboy when you're a fox? ;-)
Stripping again, you give your breasts another quick spray before you start working on your waist and hips. When you're finally satisfied, the fur covers so much of your body you might as well fill in the blanks, so you do.
The vixen in the mirror looks pretty good now, but there is still something missing, and you feel kind of front heavy.
Oh yes. Of course. After checking your body for bare spots and making some minor adjustments, you put the can on a shelf, nozzle outwards, turn your back to it, adjust the height, put your dainty hands behind you and push the button to spray your tail bone.
It itches as something starts growing. When it stops you step forward, arch your back and look over your shoulder (the transformation seems to have made your body more flexible) to see the cutest little tail at the end of your back. With a little effort you even make it wag a little.
Sure, it's cute, but not very 'foxy', and you still feel kind of off balance. And the can still isn't quite empty...
After a quick spot check to verify there's no other spot to use the spray on, you assume the position again, reach behind you and press the button until the can is empty. Realizing that you need space to grow, you step quickly forward, spin around and grab the empty can off the shelf just as the shock hits you.
It feels like your spine gets kicked up your back and pulled back out to twice its length. You moan like a sick puppy as your newest appendage goes through the grandmother of all growth spurts.
A minute later it's over. The can is empty, and you let it fall from your hand without a care for where it lands. Feeling dead tired, you stagger over to the mirror - and stare in disbelief at your mirror image.
You bare your sharp teeth in a sly foxy grin, and the vixen in the mirror smiles back.
She is complete now.
She is perfect!
She is the cutest creature you ever saw.
And... she's you.
Written by Won-Tolla on 30 May 2007
Mirror, Mirror On The Box - Who's The Cutest Little Fox?
You stand staring for several minutes before you try some poses and notice your tail. It's perfect too. It is big, fluffy and almost as long as you body, and really whooshes when you wag it. And right now you feel like you're going to wag it a lot!
You look in the mirror again and get lost in your eyes. Then you proceed to get lost in other parts. You keep staring for a small eternity before you realize something.
You are not just cute as a sack full of buttons. You're also as sexy as all get out. You realize that you're turning yourself on, and you have to muster all your willpower to not start playing with yourself.
You need a man.
Whoa, where did that come from? Not from your cool rational mind to be sure, even though it feels rather small right now. For the first time it occurs to you that transforming may affect your mind, or at least the way you think.
You need a m
Okay, enough of that! This is getting out of control. The sensible thing to do right now would be to take a cold shower with lots of soap, wash the hot vixen out of your fur and never look back.
You don't feel very sensible at the moment. More like sensuous. Besides going back now you've come this far would be such a waste.
You are still human deep inside. You can control this. So you don't want to go back or follow what seems to be your new instincts - think of something else!
You look in the mirror and get lost again. But you come back with an answer. You want to share this beauty. You want to go out and show off. Sure, you got mostly ignored before, but then you weren't really chasing attention either. And then you just looked weird, but someone as cute as this vixen just has to be noticed.
But what will you wear? Just fur is out - sure, you have enough fur to be decently covered, but you would still feel naked, and be pretty... accessible as well.
Your old clothes won't fit your new body, and even if they did they would look ugly on the new you. Quickly running out of alternatives, you remember that your sister, who lives on the other side of the building, is out of town for the weekend, and she left a key with you in case of emergencies. She has more and better clothes
than you, and you seem to be about her size now... These, then, are your alternatives. You pad into the living room, sit down on the couch (minding your tail) and try not to think of sex.
Written by Won-Tolla on 30 May 2007
Litle... Green Dress?
After pondering the evitability of fate, catching the news on TV and working yourself into another vulpine frenzy, you pad back to the bath for a cold shower with clean water, dry off and laugh at the way your damp fur floofs up.
Then you locate the key to your sister's flat, walk over to your front door and listen for a moment before you open it. Sure, you're getting ready to meet the world, but not yet, not like this. The operative word is getting.
Satisfied that you seem to be alone in the building, you open the door, pad bare pawed across the hall and stop in front of your sister's door to look at the pretty sign her nephew gave her for Christmas. Jeanette. Such a pretty name
for such a pretty lady. Though not quite as top-of-the-world pretty as you're feeling right now!
You unlock the door, slip inside and lock it behind you.
Then you stand with your back (and tail) to the door just listening to the emptiness of the flat for a while. You have always had this thing about entering other people's homes while they're out. You feel like an intruder, particularly when you have not been explicitly invited. And in this particular case Jeanette doesn't even know she has a sister for the duration!
To justify your unannounced presence you make a quick round to see if the flowers need water, and make sure there isn't anything in the fridge that won't keep over the weekend. Most of the food looks like it will see Monday morning, but there is an old cheese rind that looks like it's about to go critical, so you pick it up and start gnawing on it while heading for the bath. Feels kind of weird to chew with fox teeth, but you'll burn that bridge when you get to it. Right now you're not even sure if you're going to remain a vixen until you get hungry again.
Jeanette's bath turns out to be more well equipped than yours, but then you knew that already. Finishing the cheese, you grab a couple of brushes and start working on your fluffy tangled fur. Several hundred brush stokes later you realize that you have found another reason to avoid getting wet. If you ever get a chance at another transformation you're going to choose an animal with thin fur or none at all! Unless, of course, you had someone to brush you. That would be really nice...
Shaking off another distraction, you decide that your fur looks good enough, clean the brushes and put them away before you head for the bedroom. Once there, you waste no time in opening what Jeanette jocularly refers to as her drawer drawer and picking out a matched set of underwear. Hooking up the bra is kind of tricky, but no match for your increased flexibility. Looking into the mirror you are amused to find that even though you're starting to feel dressed, you actually look more naked than with just fur.
Walking over to the main wardrobe, you stop and glance over at the side closet where Jeanette keeps her SCA things. (That's Society for Creative Anachronism in case anyone's in doubt. Feel free to look it up.) Even though she doesn't talk much with you about it, you know she likes to dress up for various Society events and spends lot of time working on her costumes.
You open the door and find a pretty emerald green renaissance dress. Becoming a vixen must have sharpened your sense of attire, for you realize at first glance that this would look good on you. On the other paw, you know how much time and money your sister must have spent on this outfit, and if something happened to it she would kill you regardless of whether she recognized you or not.
What sells you in the end - kind of literally - is that the shirt is designed to make space for a bustle. A bustle... or a tail. It would not only look good, it would be perfect!
After a moment's hesitation you take the dress out of the closet and start figuring out how to get into it. A lot of hard work later you look in the mirror and smile that sly vulpine grin again. Now there's a foxy lady! The dress fits almost perfectly, and the deep green sets off your red fur quite well. The skirt covers most of your tail, except for the white tip. You giggle foxishly at the realization that you are showing "a piece of tail". And you're trying to be decent?
In fact the dress looks so good on you that you catch yourself wondering if Jeanette meant to wear it as part of a furry costume, but you don't know if the Society is into that kind of thing. If they do dress up as non-humans, it's more likely dragons or griffins and such...
Written by Won-Tolla on 31 May 2007
Red Fox Walking
Finally breaking away from the mirror, you walk slowly through the flat getting used to the feeling of smooth silk against your fur. It feels good, and you are not sure if you could wear anything coarser.
That narrows your options a bit of course.
In the living room you pause to look out the window. There's a whole world out there waiting for the apparition you have become...
After that it does not take long to convince yourself that you can cover your tracks, and that you and the dress will be back before Monday morning, or - the thought sends a chill down your spine - never return at all. Anyway, if you were to just disappear, your sister would have other things to worry about than her dress, so you might as well take it.
Quickly accepting your twisted logic before it crumbles in your paws, you walk over to Jeanette's "chaos corner" and find an old purse that you fill with various paraphernalia that a woman (and, by extension, an anthro vixen) would be expected to be carrying. Then you lock up the place and return to your own humble abode.
Only when you open the door do you realize that you left expecting to be back in a few minutes, so you didn't bother to lock the door or turn off the lights. Well, you just have to remember when you leave the building...
Inside you lock the door behind you, walk over to where your jacket in hanging and take out your wallet. The first thing you take out is your bus card.
That could come in handy, but it's got your picture and identifies you as a male, so it has to stay home.
At the sight of your ATM and credit cards a little voice in your head starts cheering: "Shopping spree! Shopping spree! Yaaay!!!"
You shake your head and put the cards back. While shopping might very well be a perfect way to distract the vixen within you from the naughty thoughts she put in your head earlier, you just can't see yourself spending a lot on things you will only need for a few hours... or... even... days...
You realize you haven't really given any serious thought to just how long you want to stay like this. A few hours you could handle, but more than a day means the vixen would have to eat... and sleep... and... other things.
Great.
Another thing you have to sit down for. You're not at all sure you want to get to know your new body that well. You shake the strange thoughts out of your fuzzy little head and start counting your cash. You just made a withdrawal the other day, so there is plenty to keep you going for a while. Better avoid the temptation altogether...
You take just enough for a couple of bus fares and a bit of food (in case you stay out long enough to get hungry), put it in your purse and replace the wallet. Now what?
Oh yes. You step quickly into your den, put Jeanette's key back in the drawer, find your own and drop it into the purse. Lock up this time, you say to yourself. Lock up this time!
You're about as ready as you can be now, and you feel your little vixen heart racing a bit faster. Then you think about covering tracks again and realize there is one more thing to do.
A quick search reveals the empty spray can on the floor behind the toilet. Just dumping it in the trash won't make much difference, so you decide to take it with you. Besides you might happen to meet someone who can read the label...
As you pick up the can you notice a tiny noise. You shake the can, and only your big fox ears can hear the faint ghost of a sloshing sound. Some vapor must have condensed while you were away, and there's a single drop of potion - or whatever it is - left.
Okay, so there is one more thing to do. Putting the can down carefully, you find a bottle of Listerine, take a healthy swig (*bleargh*), raise your muzzle to the ceiling and gargle, moving carefully to avoid spilling on your face or anywhere else outside.
You keep it up until the sound deepens, then you drop your head, spit (still careful to avoid spilling) and look into the mirror. You felt a kind of tingle down there, but did it work as you thought?
You form the answer in your mind, move your lips around the shape of the sound and try to whisper.
"Yes. It did."
Your human voice is back. Your male human voice, that doesn't sound right for a cute vixen. You try raising the pitch and doing different voices, but none of them sound right. Besides you know if you have to concentrate on speaking like a vixen you're going to slip up sooner or later.
There is only one thing to do, and you knew it as soon as you discovered that last drop. You fill a glass with clean water and gargle again to clear your throat of anything that may interfere with the magic, then you sit breathing with your mouth open to dry up a bit while warming the can with your paws (resisting the impulse to put it somewhere warmer).
This is it. You're not sure it will work, but if it does you can consider it the final sign from fate, or perhaps the author of whatever crazy story you're in. You make a solemn promise to yourself that if your next action does not work, you will return the dress and take a shower. Then you open your mouth wide...
Point the nozzle at it...
Exhale...
Then push the button hard as you inhale sharply.
There is a small puff from the nozzle, and you start coughing. After a few heaves you notice the sound changing.
You look in the mirror again and figure you should say something important. It strikes you that you are looking at a nameless vixen. Well, not any more.
You cock your head coyly, grin what is rapidly becoming your trademark grin, and churr softly:
"Hello world. My name is Foxie."
That is the vixen's voice. It suits her. That is how little spray you should have used to begin with.
By your own standard, you are cleared for departure.
---
Lights out, fur brushed, dress spotless, voice humming softly ("I Feel Pretty" from West Side
Story), purse in paw, you stand in the entrance hall with noting left on your checklist. As you reach for the doorknob you take a deep breath (feeling your bosom rise slightly) and say:
"Walking Miss Foxie, Part One. Take One. Action."
Written by Won-Tolla on 01 June 2007
A Walk By the Old School
There she was just a-walking down the street
singin' doh wah diddy diddy dam diddy doh
snapping her fingers and shuffling to the beat
singin' doh wah diddy diddy dam diddy doh
You didn't bring an iFox, uhm iPod, but Fun Factory is still resounding in your head as you pull up in front of your apartment building with a few improvised dance steps and look up at the dark windows.
Looks like there's still nobody home. Doesn't matter though - you've found the attention you craved elsewhere. It's been roughly an hour since you went out, and now you have been around the block in two different directions, met a handful of people and basked in their attention. A boy even whistled at you, and when you showed your teeth and snarled back (just for fun), he laughed and called you a foxy lady.
This. Is. Fun.
This has to end some time. But not yet. You realize that after the effort you made to get out of the house in the first place, there is no going back. Once the vixen is back in the house she won't come out again. She'll be gone. History. Even if you get another transformation spell some time it won't be the same. You look at your reflection in a window and realize the vixen is a mayfly. This is her day, you should make it last.
This is her day. Or weekend. or week...
Whoa girl! You shake you head and remind yourself that you have to be back before Monday.
A bit calmer, you turn and look around. So this adventure has no breaks, but you hope it has brakes... Looks like this chapter has come to an end though. Time to move on. Besides you're getting hungry, and nature has started calling. The simple answers lie upstairs, but you have to find them elsewhere.
Giggling at the thought you had an hour ago, about things you wouldn't want to have to do as a vixen, you heft your purse and start crossing the street. Oh well, it wouldn't be much of an adventure if you only had to do things you liked...
Approaching the corner beyond which lie the main street and the bus stop, you realize that you don't know when the next bus is due, or which route it is for that matter. Not that you haven't got the schedules memorized, but you finally realize that you forgot to bring a watch and have completely lost track of time. Well, good thing this transformation doesn't have a strict time limit then. And as far as the buses are concerned, they are late more often than they are on time anyway. You'll just take the first one that arrives.
Reaching the corner, you pause briefly like you did before leaving the flat, and say:
"Walking Miss Foxie, Part Two. Take One. Action."
You round the corner and head for the bus stop two blocks down. Still pretty quiet. A couple of cars slow down a bit as they pass you.
Written by Won-Tolla on 08 March 2011
Bus Stop / Vulpine FAQ
There is a man sitting at the bus stop. He seems preoccupied with studying the cemetery on the other side of the street. You know some people don't like having a big memento mori that close, particularly not right where they are waiting for the bus every day, but others find it convenient for (what you call) ancestor worship, and the old people find comfort in the thought that they won't have to leave the neighborhood on their last journey.
Maybe having a cemetery in the neighborhood does have an effect on the people, you reflect as you sit down on the bench and drape your tail behind it. Maybe they are just as weird as you feel today, only you didn't notice before.
You look at the man, who does not appear to have noticed you yet. He seems oddly familiar, but then you are in your home district. Well, if you are going to do more than get seen from some distance and snarl at saucy youths, this looks like as good a place to start as any.
"Good morning," you murr cheerfully. "Lovely day isn't it?"
"It certainly is," he replies without turning. "Enjoying your free sample?"
Sample of the day? You fail to make the connection at first, then he turns around and smiles at you. It's the shop keeper.
You look down and blush, whimpering softly at the realization that he is probably the only one in town who knows who you are... and what you were...
"Now, now," he says in a friendly tone as he scratches your flattened ears. That feels good. No wonder dogs go for it. "Don't go all Hideki on me now!"
You look up with a curiosity strong enough to push your embarrassment into the shadow. "Hide who now?"
"Hideki Motosuwa from the manga Chobits."
"Can't say I have read that one..."
"Well, basically he's this nice guy who gets into some weird story. Being a country boy, he's used to being alone so he has a habit of thinking out loud. He also has this thing about being normal, so every time he's caught crossing a line he'll jump around yelling "Oh my God, you must think I'me some kind of pervert!""
You giggle. "Silly!"
"It's hilarious, considering he's actually pointing out the things he's trying to hide!"
Well, you think, you don't really point out anything. In fact... It just strikes you that you addressed yourself as "Girl" earlier, and you're starting to have problems with thinking of yourself as male.
"Do you think I'm weird?" you ask.
"Yes," he replies as he keeps scritching and moves his hand down your neck. That's really relaxing... "But then I'm weird too, so who am I to judge?"
"You're weird?" you ask, anticipating an Alice in Wonderland moment.
"I am a wizard. Weird is my middle name."
"Ah. Mister Weird Wizard."
"Actually I have a first name. It translates roughly as 'he who hates being taken literally'."
You decide to change the subject. "About your question..."
"Oh, I was just making conversation. The answer should be obvious. You have been transformed for what, two or three hours now? And here you are not just still at it, you are taking the next step. Am I right?"
You study your feet for a while. "Well, I thought I'd try going downtown... see more people... talk to someone..."
"One of three, right here." He studies your thoughtfully for a while and says quietly: "Let me know if you want to buy some fixative."
You look up. "Fix...?"
"Fixative. To make the spell permanent. This spray-on wash-off magic is fine for a while, but after a couple of days you're going to miss hot showers!"
Despite the fact that he's talking about hot water, his words send a chill down your spine - all the way to the tailtip. Sure, you've had thoughts like that, but to hear someone else say it...!
"I-I'm not burning any bridges," you stutter, "yet..." Darn! Why did you have to say that last word? "I'm, I'm just..."
"Enjoying a free sample?"
"Precisely! I'm not done being... the old me yet."
The wizard nods. "So you're saying it's a nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there?"
"Precisely!" Now that was a clear unambiguous statement. You bite your tongue to keep it from adding any obscure modifiers.
"Don't let it bother you. Many people would like to explore the other side, but few get the chance. Consider yourself a lucky lass."
"Long as I can be a lucky lad again some day. Tonight! I mean tonight!"
"Whatever you say, Hideki."
You stare intently at your toes as you feel your cheeks burning. Thank goodness for red fur!
"You have no problems being a fox though?"
"Well... not really. Not yet anyway."
"Case in point."
"Come again?"
"Just a minute. Ah, here is my visual aid now."
You turn to see what he's looking at, and see a big dog come walking down the street with a boy and a girl in tow. You realize that you recognize them and have to be careful not to show it.
The dog stops and sniffs at you, and gets a pat on the head for his efforts. (Canid communication breakthrough! Vixen pats dog! Film at six.) The girl smiles and says you're pretty, so you smile back and thank her while wagging your tail at her. The boy tries to look uninterested but can't hide his curiosity about you.
As the trio walks on, Mr. Weird Wizard turns to you and says: "One of the three is not like the others."
"The dog," you say quickly. "It's not human."
"Ah, but the girl was the only female."
You start saying something, then stop as you see his point. In a way you are more different from a human as a fox than you are from a man as a female. Or something.
"It's also a question of motivation," he continues. "There are people who do... that kind of change for a special reason. If you ask me, they are the weird ones. There are even those who... don't change their species, if you know what I mean."
"Thanks a lot," you quip. "That's gonna be a real comfort on Saturday nights. Are you sure you're not recruiting for a monastery?"
"I don't think you'd qualify today." He pauses and adds: "The bus is coming."
Written by Won-Tolla on 08 March 2011
On the bus
You look down the street and listen, but there is neither sight nor sound to verify the wizard's claim. Still he sounds quite sure, so you stand up, straighten your skirt and open your purse to get some money. You have just started counting when the bus rounds the corner, most probably behind schedule.
"How did you know?"
"Same way I knew you'd be here. I'm a wizard."
Having brought all the coins from your wallet, you have no problems producing exact change for the bus. The wizard, however...
"I only have exact change for two," he observes after counting his money quickly. "If you give me your fare I can pay for both of us."
That sounds like a plan and less for you to think of, so you hand over your money but can't quite free yourself from the thought that there is something wrong with this picture.
The bus arrives, and you get on first. The driver seems to be busy blinking and suppressing the impulse to rub his eyes, so you just breeze past him with the typical 'person behind me is paying' nod and start looking for a seat. You find one next to an elderly lady and start sitting down when your ears prick up at the sound of the wizard talking to the driver.
Did he say... "pet"?
No. He's struck you as a pretty decent fellow this far. He wouldn't... But you wanted to go exploring on your own, get on the bus and buy your own ticket. He just took that from you. And named you his pet to boot. Still, he's a wizard - maybe he knows something that would make it a bad idea for you to deal with the driver...
Then it dawns on you. He planned this. After all, if he knew where you were and when the bus was coming, how could he not know to bring exact change?
Your ruminations are interrupted by a friendly voice.
"My, you're a pretty one, aren't you?"
You turn around and realize the elderly woman is talking to you. Does she think you're a pet as well? Well, that's a misunderstanding that's easily remedied thanks to the last drop of the spray. Resisting the impulse to wag your tail, which is now wedged between the seats, you give her a sweet foxy smile and say: "Thank you."
She stares in surprise for a moment and says, "Oh. I thought you were... um, with him." Vague handwave in the general direction of the wizard, who has found a seat elsewhere. Good. You don't really feel like sitting next to him right now.
"I am," you explain. "Just as he's with me, and those two..." You indicate a young couple sitting closely embraced in the corner - "are together. Only not that close."
She nods. "Good to get that cleared up. I'm Marsha." She holds out her hand, and you shake it. As you keep talking, you notice that she keeps holding your hand, as if she is still not quite convinced that you are real. You have no issues with that - after all you have the same feeling about this whole day!
"I'm Foxie."
"You sure are. And your name?"
"Uh, that is my name."
She smiles a warm, practiced smile. "Well, that should be easy to remember. If you don't mind me asking... What are you actually?"
"I'm a kitsune," you blurt. "A Japanese magical fox."
"Ah, guess I should say Konnichi wa then."
You stare blankly at her.
"Uh... Wakari masu ka?"
You shake your head. "Sorry, when I said Japanese I meant 'as in Japanese folklore'. I'm not Japanese by birth and don't speak the language." Suddenly overcome by guilt you add quickly, "And to tell the truth I'm not really a kitsune either. I just said that to... impress you."
Marsha looks curiously at you. "Foxie, you're a talking fox. You are cute, friendly and well spoken. You don't need to lie to impress anyone."
You hang your head, ears drooping. "I'm sorry."
She chuckles. "And you're very good at looking sad. Think no more of it. After all I don't speak Japanese either, I just picked up some phrases. Anyway, this seems to be your stop. Been nice chatting with you."
You look up, suddenly aware that the bus has moved several blocks while you were talking to Marsha. Looks like you are in the neighbourhood of the magic store. Behind you the wizard is getting ready to get off.
Decision time. Looks like both Marsha and the wizard expect you to go with him, but that would mean letting him continue running the show. Maybe you'd be better off striking out on your own?
Written by Won-Tolla on 08 March 2011
The Rainbow Connection
As the bus stops, the wizard stands up and heads for the door, pausing momentarily beside your seat. At the last second you make your decision, glance up at him and give him a short dismissive wave. Without batting an eye, he moves on and exits just before the doors close. As the bus shudders back into motion, you look out the window and realize this is the nearest stop to what you have come to think of as the magic store.
You notice Marsha smiling enigmatically at you. Does she realize you just made an important decision, or is she just happy to enjoy your company a bit longer? Okay, let's make it even longer! When she gets up to leave a couple of stops later, you rise as well.
"Are you going to the park too?"
"Yes I am," you answer without too much hesitation as you realize where you are. "Such nice weather for it."
You step gingerly off - Marsha on her old tired feet and you on your brand new ones - and enter the park as the bus vanishes into the traffic behind you. "Do you come here often?" Marsha asks curiously. "I don't remember seeing you here before. I'm sure I would have noticed!"
"What? Oh, I'm, ah, well, usually here at, err, different times." Great! You kick yourself mentally to remind yourself that you are still in familiar territory and must be careful not to show it too much. As a matter of fact you do remember seeing some old women in the park before, and you are pretty sure one of them was Marsha. But you were a different person then and not particularly interested in old people.
Except...
It strikes you that as old as Marsha is now, she must have been middle aged when you were a kid. You vaguely recall meeting a nice lady one day you were playing in the park. You were sad about something, and she gave you some candy to cheer you up. The more you think about it, the more sure you get. Marsha was the Candy Lady. Too bad you can't tell her that.
You are starting to feel a bit peckish, so when Marsha stops to buy an ice cream cone, you follow her example. You still have enough for the bus fare home... or wherever you are going.
As you dig into the sweet coolness, Marsha pauses to look at you. You have a brief thought about letting the alpha eat first, but that is not what she has in mind.
"I thought canids couldn't eat chocolate," she says quizically.
"It's not good for us," you improvise, "but I'd have to eat about a pound to make me sick. And I'd get sugar shock before that. These sprinkles are nothing." You are standing with your back to the sun, and notice a small rainbow forming in the spray from a fountain behind Marsha. "Besides," you add with a mischievous gleam in your eye, "I'm a magic kitsune - we can turn it into RAINBOWS!" The last word is shouted out with a dramatic flourish that makes your companion turn around and look at the fountain.
Marsha gasps and stares at the rainbow for a second before she looks back at you and laughs. "Why, you young rapscallion! You had me going for a moment!"
You move on, only slightly embarassed to notice that a few other park wanderers heard your shout and are now looking around for the rainbow. Of course they have the wrong angle - their loss.
Written by Won-Tolla on 08 March 2011
The end (for now)