[6] …And not go too overboard. She was, after all, meant to be a hero! A savior! Not just a common kuda-gitsune. She was messing with the Kiketsu here, a deserving target if any, but… if she could do that by saving the Dragon Miko, and bringing her home, that’d be a good start. (Sets Spirit to 0, and ???)
[20] But really, the biggest draw were the written secrets. Kosuzu didn’t even really plan to sell what she read, she just was so, so curious about the sort of Youma books a youkai yakuza family could produce. And there was nothing better for nosing out those tomes than a clever fox. (Sets Spirit to 2, and ???)
[9] She wouldn’t screw up this mission. Noble or no, her mother was counting on her. She had the perfect abilities for infiltration, she had the will to seek things out, now there was just proving herself a real tube fox. (Sets Spirit to 2, and ???)

…Well, she’d mostly stay on track.

The manuscript wasn’t the first time Kosuzu had ended up getting herself extra reading material out of a venture, nor was it likely to be the last - especially if Kosuzu could help it. She just couldn’t resist sneaking an extra book here and there. The powers of any kitsune - of deception and of shapeshifting - proved very capable of getting into any nook and cranny, and while Kosuzu was still only really getting the hang of it, she was not shying away from using it to examine - and occasionally even take - any books that caught her eye.

Her mother… largely tolerated such distractions, with the provision that she was allowed to find some value out of such material as they could. The manuscript, for example, was intricately detailed, and Tsukasa fully intended to bilk a tidy sum of a reward from whoever the writer was when she returned to the surface. (...well, it had awakened Kosuzu’s memories of the past, but her mother didn’t know that yet, and would likely charge a fee regardless. A quick, quiet apology to the presumably Hieda’s coffers was offered.)

Still, Kosuzu was excited. The Dragon Miko and her connections was one thing, but, eh, Kosuzu had a hunch she knew a stronger miko, anyways. Now, if the Dragon Miko turned out to have any interesting writings, that was a different story. Kosuzu smiled, as she finished tidying up her hair. This was going to be fun.

Spirit set to Youkai-2.
Instinct set to 0.
???? set to 4.

The subway train came to a stop, nearly causing the younger fox to topple over. Tsukasa chuckled a bit as Kosuzu righted herself. The two foxes got out, among a small group of mingling animal spirits.

A green otter spirit with a scale around its neck was waiting for them. Quietly, the two of them stepped out, and at his gesture, began following him. A navigator was vital in this sort of strange city, so Kosuzu just let him lead them where they may.

That turned out to be through a strange series of gates (she vaguely recalled bumping through something similar on the way down to the subway), and into another, smaller vehicle, driven by an otter with an expression of utter dread. It didn’t do much for Kosuzu’s nerves as she was ushered into the vehicle, but the trip itself was smooth enough.

The vehicle they were in had a clear, glass-like partition with a window between the front and back. The driver and their guide sat in the front, with the window firmly shut - either to keep the otter’s words away from the foxes’ ears, or vice versa. Kosuzu stared out a side window, at the world passing before her. …Tall, square, red-lit spires dominated the landscape, even though they gave way over time. Supposedly, the animal realm was much like the outside world’s cities, but tended to be… behind them in many respects; after all, the humans whose desires ultimately shaped the world were the humans of yesteryear.

Still, it felt practically alien to Kosuzu. And yet, at the same time, thrilling. Another world, entirely unlike her own. And if it was like those outside cities, that likely meant some truly massive libraries - she hoped she got some time to explore the realm more fully.

They came to a stop at a strange structure. Its outside walls were made largely of glass, with a blocky, square demeanor to the concrete framing, and stood three stories tall, all-up. Otters played on the grounds, or kicked around in the pools next to the house - yet, Kosuzu was aware of a few keen-eyed stares hidden among the genuine merrymakers, sizing them up as they arrived. The path went around a central garden - featuring different-coloured flowers in a turtle shell pattern. Their guide got out of the car, and walked over to their door, letting Kosuzu and her mother out.

Kosuzu looked up. In the glass of the window above them, she saw a single figure, unmistakable. Blonde hair and yellow horns framed eyes the color of the sunset, coolly assessing the kuda-gitsune. Kosuzu couldn’t hold her gaze for long, and quickly looked away, letting herself be led inside.

---

The building was actually some sort of mansion, Kosuzu realized - at least in part. There were simple residential functions throughout, and few of the markings of an actual official building. The staff that were there largely appeared to be dressed in servant’s outfits (if they were the type to be wearing outfits at all, of course), with the detail of a seemingly-mandatory green scale necklace. The two foxes were directed into some sort of waiting room.

They didn’t appear to be the only ones waiting. There were three others. The first to get Kosuzu’s attention was an orange-haired girl, with green and yellow clothing and a single white bow in long lock of hair over her shoulder. She was salivating over a fishtank, seemingly in an intense debate on whether to try and snatch one of the fish - seemingly normal, actual live fish, though they looked decidedly strange to Kosuzu. Odd colors and shapes, likely quite exotic kinds.

The other two were sitting side-by-side, opposite the fishtank. Nearer to Kosuzu was a blue-haired woman, in an ensemble similar in color to the first girl. However, while it superficially resembled them in color, it was entirely different, eminently something of both practical and possibly ceremonial purposes. She was quietly restraining the girl she actually seemed affiliated with - a young, blonde girl with porcelain-perfect skin, and hair tied up in two buns with white ribbons. She was wearing what seemed to be some sort of light, yellow armor over white clothes, and had a small necklace - a haniwa? Perhaps that was indicative of her nature, but if so, why was she so small? She looked only a little bit older than Kosuzu herself. She glared at the foxes as they entered, but didn’t move beyond that.

Kosuzu and Tsukasa sat down, the younger fox appreciating the tail-room provided by her chair. She looked around the groups, a bit nervous.

An otter secretary approached them. “Well well well... Kudamaki Tsukasa, yes?”

The fox bowed graciously. “Yes, miss. Here to speak with Kicchou Yacchie about her consultancy task.”

The craftswoman hummed. Kosuzu’s ears picked up her muttering under her breath. “Ah, kon-sultancy, is it? No wonder she’s hidden away upstairs.”

The otter hummed, before slowly turning her gaze to the second fox. “Well, you’ve come early. And this bell-bearing girl is…?”

Tsukasa gestured, grandly. “This is my daughter. She’s a bit behind the proverbial curve of a normal kuda-gitsune, but she’ll get there eventually, and there’s nothing like practical experience, no?”

Kosuzu flushed a bit, but bowed. “Please forgive my intrusion. My name is Kudamaki Kosuzu.”

There was a distinct change in the energy in the room. Suddenly, it felt like all eyes were on her. The would-be fisher stumbled off her chair, flailing as she fell backwards, but managed to twist her body and land on all fours.

And yet, all eyes were still on her, with the exception of her slightly-baffled mother. Even the fish-obsessed klutz/acrobat had been only momentarily by her fall. The fox kit squirmed in the sudden attention. The otter secretary tapped her pen to her chin, assessing Kosuzu coolly.

At length, she spoke. “...I see. Well! The meeting may concern some topics not for the young to hear, so perhaps it is best for your young kit to stay outside. She can do as she likes while she waits.”

Kosuzu was surprised. “You’re… just going to let me wander the grounds?”

The otter chuckled. “Little one, this is the Kiketsu. Our secrets are quite well-kept, you know. There are plenty of guards who won’t let a stranger pass without one of these.” The otter lifted her scale necklace. “And, well, if an …unrefined pipe fox covered in bells actually manages to get somewhere they shouldn’t, that’s just the sort of issue we’re hoping you help us patch.”

The otter straightened up. “Well, first floor has more general amenities, and the pools of course. If you need anything, well, just let the house servants know and they will be able to direct you where you need to go. You can find the actual living quarters further up. There are more restricted areas there, of course, but it also has a few public spaces - such as the Kicchou’s home library.”

Kosuzu perked up, but a click of her mother’s tongue caught her before she went overboard. “I-I’ll take a look over the whole grounds. Thank you.” The otter gave her an appraising look, before nodding.

“Well, well, well… Ms. Kudamaki, if you need to quickly visit the bathroom or anything, you can, but Lady Yachie has been ready to start your meeting early. After all, you clearly are not the only one who is eager to meet our Lady.”

Tsukasa smiled, bowing. “Yes… it would be my pleasure, Miss. Kosuzu? Don’t get yourself too deep into a mess, will you?” Kosuzu nodded, as the two made their exit.

Kosuzu still didn’t feel easy. The other two kids had gone from ‘staring at her’ to ‘decidedly not staring at her’. The older woman, meanwhile, was openly assessing the young fox, seeming to take her own appraisal. She was still the center of attention in this room, and the fox squirmed under it.

…Still, she could just leave the room if she wanted. Or she could try talking to these groups. They seemed like some… interesting sorts, and it wouldn’t do to be caught flatfooted.

[ ] Talk to the blue-haired woman, and her… haniwa? Bodyguard? …Daughter?
[ ] Leave those two alone.

{ } Talk to the orange girl. She seemed… eccentric. There was clearly something going on there.
{ } Ah, she was already looking at the fish tank again. Best to leave her be.

( ) Go to assess the ground floor first. Might as well take this from the top - err, bottom.
( ) Just because she couldn’t stay in the library, didn’t mean she couldn’t scout it out first. Take to the upper floors.

[23] Talk to the blue-haired woman, and her… haniwa? Bodyguard? …Daughter?
[2] Leave those two alone.

{13} Talk to the orange girl. She seemed… eccentric. There was clearly something going on there.
{12} Ah, she was already looking at the fish tank again. Best to leave her be.

(0) Go to assess the ground floor first. Might as well take this from the top - err, bottom.
(25) Just because she couldn’t stay in the library, didn’t mean she couldn’t scout it out first. Take to the upper floors.

Kosuzu decided to walk over to the two sitting together, first. The woman gave her a wave, smiling.

“My, my. Kosuzu, yes? What a cute little fox you are.” She offered a hand, which Kosuzu shook. “My name is Keiki. You’re new to the city, I assume?”

Kosuzu did her best not to squirm out of the actual goddess’ hand. “Y-yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Keiki.”

The goddess chuckled. “My, did you not know who you were talking to? …This is the Kiketsu’s heart, you know. Most people here are bigwigs -” She glanced over at the third party sizing up the fish tank again. “Or at least connected to someone who is.”

The pipe fox did her best to recover. “I see. So what brings you here, Lady Keiki?”

“Why, my dearest little Mayumi, of course.” The figure next to her started to blush. “I’ve been working on more subtle models of guard haniwa. After all, the appearance of the Dragon Miko has the various Animal Gangs in a bit of an arms race looking for allies, and if any living allies manage to lock down my haniwa, the animal spirits are free to attack anyone else.” She smirked.

Kosuzu caught on quickly. “But if there’s haniwa blended in among the human spirits… then they’re gonna be on the back foot!”

Keiki smiled. “A bright girl, I see. Yes, that is the point. But the problem is that most of my models cannot convincingly portray a human. And there’s no advantage to anything less than that. But my extra-special Mayumi here has incredible learning potential, and with us reaching a level of… cooperation with the Kiketsu, the original task she was prepared for is lower priority now. Hence the smaller chassis.”

Kosuzu turned to inspect Mayumi. The haniwa, eyeing her up as well, might be in a ‘smaller chassis’, but that didn’t mean she was actually less of a threat. “And you put her with the Dragon Miko? Or at least, you’re trying to?”

Keiki nodded. “Yes, of course. Mayumi is the closest thing she has to a playmate her own age, and inversely, the miko’s one of the best sources of data on how human children behave - albeit with obvious caveats.” The goddess gave a wink. “I imagine your mother intends for you to be the same? Or perhaps you are already affiliated with her?”

Kosuzu shrugged. “We’re really just here for a consultancy. It’d be nice to be her friend, but… I can’t guarantee anything, of course. Besides, I know a stronger miko, anyways.”

“Oh, do you now?” Keiki smiled. “Well, I wish you luck. The miko’s been turning away all manner of youkai Yachie tries to assign as an escort. I even think your mother’s name was mentioned specifically on the very first candidate blacklist.” Kosuzu’s ears flicked back, and the goddess chuckled. “...But, well, Yachie’s most likely running very short on suitable candidates, and she didn’t say anything like that about you. Might as well try, eh? Or at least take in the Kicchou library while you can?”

Kosuzu paused, then caught on. “Ah, did the manuscript give me away?” The goddess raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Yes, I think I’ll have to do that. Thank you for your time, Lady Keiki.” She bowed, and turned to the other person in the room.

“And… what are you doing?” The orange-haired girl started, turning to look at Kosuzu sheepishly. “I’m pretty sure that you’re not allowed to take those.”

“Aheheheh, well… I couldn’t help myself, there’s so many fish here!” The girl grinned, stepping down off her chair. She had to be connected to some kind of bigwig, if the otters were just letting her do that.

She was a bit older than Kosuzu, but not so much that the fox couldn’t chide her. “You really should behave yourself, you know, if you’re acting as a representative.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you sound just like my master…”

Kosuzu chuckled. “At least have a bit more tact, yes? My name’s Kosuzu. And you are…?”

“Call me Orange!” The girl stuck out her hand. “Actually, Miss Kosuzu, I wanted to ask. How do I look?”

The tube fox assessed ‘Orange’. “...Well… in appearance, I’d say you look like a pretty normal human.”

The girl grinned triumphantly. “Nyeheheheh… you think so?”

“But clearly you’re some kind of youkai cat, no?” Orange started, looking at her confused. “You’ve not exactly been acting the part of a human all that well, you know. Especially when you go ‘nyeheheheh’ when people call you normal.”

The disguised cat blushed. “Ah… oops. But the disguise is fine, right? My master made it, after all!”

Kosuzu shrugged. “Kinda hard to assess the finer points when you’re acting so strange… but yes, your master’s disguise works well enough. Kosuzu grinned. “Your master must be very talented. Kitsune, I’m guessing?”

“Woah, how’d you guess that?!” Kosuzu smirked. “Are you psychic or something?”

“Why, you just told me.” …Well, tanuki tended to be fairly insular when it came to their operations, and their magics were nowhere near as suited for some lasting enchantment. But better to not play her full hand.

Orange bounced her palm of her skull. “Nyaaahhhhhh… you got me again… you’re really smart, Miss Kosuzu. …So what are you here for?”

The pipe fox grinned. “Ah, just a little defense consultancy. It’s the power of a pipe fox, after all.”

Orange assessed her. “A white-hat hacker, huh… Is that all? I woulda thought you’d have come here for a different reason.”

Kosuzu shrugged. “Think what you want to think. We’re pipe-foxes, after all - if we’re not acting as advisors, we’re better suited to poking holes in existing defenses.”

Chen looked sympathetic. “...Is that all you can do?”

Kosuzu nodded, sighing. “Well… yes. Tube foxes are fairly specialized as far as foxes go, you know?” …In truth, Kosuzu had been wanting to try and learn some more versatile magic. But her mother insisted that a tube-fox who didn’t even have the basics fully down shouldn’t be trying to get other skills on hand too early.

Orange started to say something, but hesitated, uncertain. Kosuzu did her best to regather herself. “Anyway! If what I’ve been hearing is correct, I might not have a lot of time here, so… I might go check out that library, if that’s okay?” She gave a small wave to the youkai cat. “Hope to speak to you again, Orange.”

“...Yeah!” Orange regathered herself. “You take care too, miss Kosuzu.” The two youkai shared a wave, and went their separate ways.

She didn’t see the cat’s head turn back, and watch her make her exit.

---

Kosuzu sighed as she climbed the steps. Those thoughts had taken her to a somewhat moody place. She found herself, naturally, assessing the choice she made, at her reincarnation.

Kuda-gitsune were… not powerful. As far as foxes went, they were… not the weakest, but only barely. And what powers they did have were focused on specific tasks - limited shapeshifting, and a cunning that only served to undermine their partners in the end. Kosuzu really, really hoped that didn’t mean she’d essentially have to sit out being alongside her friends in solving this incident.

…Well, it wasn’t like she’d been flush with choices. Maneki-neko were maybe more benevolent, but arguably even less useful - a kuda-gitsune could at least be helpful for a time. And kappa were… in hindsight, maybe the best option. But living next to the water made them out of the question.

…And besides, she wasn’t that good of a Kuda-gitsune, anyways… After a moment, Kosuzu balled her fists. No! She couldn’t get discouraged like this. Pipe foxes might bring ruin, but that was as much because of their cunning as it was anything else. And it might still give her opportunities - sneak in amongst the enemy, and suddenly bringing ruin was actually what she’d want. She wasn’t going to waste this chance, she was sure of it.

There was the sound of hushed whispers, ahead of her. Kosuzu raised an ear, listening in.

“I-I’m not supposed to leave my post-”

“Yeah, and we’re supposed to report ASAP. So just let us pass it through, will you?”

“If you pass that through, I’ll die!” Kosuzu stuck her head around the corner. Three otter spirits were debating in low tones. One appeared to be guarding a door, while two others appeared to be holding some kind of message.

One of the delivery otters shrugged. “You’re already dead. And we already got our butts kicked once by that chicken god. You’re getting no sympathy from me.”

“Well, you’re not leaving me to sit on top of a bomb!” The guard otter groaned. “Ahhhhh… why did you have to come on my shift…? I’m gonna throw up…”

The third tried to placate his two companions. “L-look you two, nobody’s looking forward to this. But we still gotta do it, alright? You say you’re feeling ill, so, so how about this? You let us shove it under the door, then we take you to sickbay. Get old Asami to watch the girl until she explodes on him.”

There was a momentary pause. The three otters exchanged glances, then nods. “...Which way’s the sick bay, again?”

“It’s just down the stairs past the waiting room.” The otter holding the letter pointed it in Kosuzu’s direction. “She’s still sleeping, right? Come on, let’s be quick about it.”

The three otters slid the note under the door, then rushed for the exit. None of them were moving slow enough to register the slight rocking of an ornamental vase in the hall.

As their voices moved away, a small fox kit stuck her head out, scanning to make sure they were gone. As much as the piping was still a bit shaky, she could get into a small enough form to hide in seconds. She slipped out of the vase, padding over to the door and returning to human-ish form.

It was a western-styled door, with a keyhole. Kosuzu tried to look through the keyhole, and saw a spacious room, lit by twilight. A small pile of assorted plushies stared back, from the far side of the hole.

…So, this was the Dragon Miko’s room? It had to be, right? Kosuzu paused, tapping her chin in thought.

[ ] Knock on the door.
[ ] Leave it for now, head to the library.
[ ] If she could see through the keyhole… that meant it was a tube…

[1] Knock on the door.
[ ] Leave it for now, head to the library.
[27] If she could see through the keyhole… that meant it was a tube…

…Right. She shouldn’t waste this opportunity, surely? Besides, it was technically what she was here to do. Any problems that came from this were the otter’s fault, not hers.

Hopefully, the Dragon Miko would agree. Kosuzu looked through the hole, took a deep breath, and began to squeeze through.

She wasn’t the best at piping, and this was an especially small and tight hole. And her mother had been on at her at length about eating too much. Kosuzu certainly found herself regretting it now - it meant she really had to squeeze and stretch herself, to slide through the mechanism.

Still, she managed it, easily enough, sticking her head out through the hole. She examined the room for any signs of occupants… There was a lump that might be the dragon miko, lying in her bed, but judging by its strange, humpbacked shape, it was more likely to be a plushie. After all, the Dragon Miko was a human, right? Kosuzu could reach the desk in the room from the keyhole, so she did so, snapping back into a more normal shape once she was through.

…It was probably smarter to stay in fox form, wasn’t it? As much as Kosuzu loved bells as accessories (and always, always had), they made poor stealth equipment. In fox form, all she had was a yellow collar, and a single bell she’d long taken the clapper out of. She took a moment to straighten herself out, and from her perch atop the desk, began to assess the room.

…Well, it was certainly a rich girl’s room. The writing desk Kosuzu was atop of would be something to envy all by itself, and the rest of the room had the quality to match. Everything was expensive wood, and a section of the floorspace had been surrendered to an impressive lineup of colorful animal plushies.

Kosuzu took a moment to examine the desk. The first thing she noticed was a small collection of scale necklaces - a small pile of white ones. There was also an open letter, containing a few pages worth of material on… the Moriya Shrine? A historical recount of its time in Gensokyo.

The young pipe-fox had never been comfortable at that shrine. There was just something… wrong about it, like it was intruding, and she’d never been able to suss out exactly what it was that bothered her. It appeared that the reader of the letter had some issues as well, as the letter had been augmented with small notes raising questions. Particularly about their actions before the Sixty Years Incident.

…Wait, this letter was predictive, then? And as she read it, something about the letter seemed familiar… no, way too familiar! This was Akyuu’s writing, wasn’t it? Moreover, some of these passages were seemingly lifted wholesale from the manuscript Kosuzu was carrying… so the Dragon Miko was in contact with Akyuu?

Kosuzu felt her ears flick back. …No. It couldn’t be, could it? How would someone like Yachie get her hands on Reimu…? The fox turned, starting to investigate the room more closely. A small set of the plushies caught her eye… she hopped down off the desk, turning to look at them.

The small set was on a large, rolled-out piece of paper, with a crude map drawn atop it - only barely marking out rough locations and their connections. Most of them were wearing red-scale necklaces, though one bearded turtle plushie sitting in the animal realm section was scale-less. One, a purple otter with a familiar flower on it, was sitting on the moon. There were two more sitting next to drawn question-marks - a green otter with two prop swords under the ground, and a crow in the middle of the village, whose scale sat around the rim of its sewn-on hat.

And, sitting in a blank space untouched, there was a wolf. Bright red, with a bell on it’s collar. Kosuzu stared at it, padding closer.

…Is this supposed to be… me? She turned to look at the plushies again. But… if that’s the case… where’s Reimu?

“A-hem.” Kosuzu’s tail shot between her legs. A small wisp of smoke trailed past her. She turned, slowly, to look up at the figure, arms folded and glaring at her.

Oh.

There she was.

The dragon miko - no, she knew her too well for that. Reimu - no, that wasn’t quite right either. As she examined the figure’s scaly tail, and stubby, golden horns, it became very, very clear who this was. Kicchou Reimu glared down at her, coldly.

“So. I presume you’re one of Tsukasa’s minions?” She flicked her tail, glaring down at the trembling fox. “A bold one, at that, to sneak in here. I told Mama I didn’t want anything to do with her, but she wanted one last shot, I guess…”

Kosuzu had frozen up. A part of her was screaming at her to move, to transform back into a human shape, or at least to run, but she stayed transfixed, unable to break eye contact with the furious jidiao. “Well, anything to say for yourself? Or are you just gonna stare, slack-jawed?”

The fox knew that she had to transform back, and say something, but she still couldn’t move. Some alarm bell rang off, panicking, in the back of Kosuzu’s head. She’d never met Kicchou Yachie, but she had heard of her ability - the power to sap the will to fight back. Was Reimu using it on her? Probably not intentionally… but Reimu was someone who tended to rely on intuition more than anything else. It was very possible, terrifyingly so, that Reimu’s own fury at her intrusion was triggering it automatically.

“No? Nothing to say, little fox?” …Then again, she could just be feeling the impending oblivion any youkai would when Reimu was about to exterminate them. Especially a Reimu that could very definitely breathe fire oh god move Kosuzu move right now-

The jidiao reached down, picking up Kosuzu by her scruff. “I hope this deer-in-the-headlights act isn’t meant to fool me. I spotted you the moment you slithered into my room… no? Still nothing to say for yourself?” Reimu bared her fangs. “Very well. This may not be a schoolhouse, little fox, but… I think you will find this a… very informative lesson.”

The last word echoed around Kosuzu’s skull… and something primal awoke in her. Where once there had been a placid fox, now there was a whirl of limbs. She felt her paw - or rather, her hand - strike the dragon miko’s chin, and hit the floor a second later. She scrambled backwards, panting, trying to look for a way out.

Reimu fell back, twisting her body as she landed to avoid ending up on her back. She got into a position to lunge, billowing smoke.

“That hurt, you bratty little c-” She paused, staring. The rattled fox put up a hand defensively, and Reimu’s face fell off a cliff. “C...K...KOSUZU?!”

[ ] (Write-ins are in again! And yep, both characters are free to do so. If it's not obvious by your write-in, [R] for Reimu and [K] for Kosuzu)

“I-I’m sorry!” Kosuzu flailed about, still backing up. “I-I just, they told me I could come up here and they, they sorta directed me to the library but, but they also kinda, kinda encouraged a pen-test, and, and there were two otters who left a letter and ran away with the guard- please, please, I’m sorry, I-I didn’t realize, p-please don’t seal me, I-I don’t want to go back in the-”

A pink, plush snake’s muzzle bumped against her. Reimu gave her a gentle look. “C-calm down, alright? I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Kosuzu…”

Kosuzu shakingly took the snake, pulling it up with her. The two girls stared at each other for a moment, slowly processing each other’s state and expression.

Reimu let out a slow breath. “...Kudamaki Kosuzu, I assume?” The fox-girl nodded, hesitantly. “Right. If you had a choice, it’s not what I would have picked, but… I somehow ended up with Kicchou as my Mama, so I guess I shouldn’t judge.”

Kosuzu was the next to speak. “So… the Dragon Miko thing…” Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but everything quickly clicked. “So the b-brainwashing line is just an excuse if you let slip she’s your mom?” Reimu nodded. “I-I see. That’s pretty clever.”

The young jidiao sighed. “Yukari came down here about a week after I remembered things. Asked a whole bunch of questions, tested how well I could keep up a lie… and promptly came up with a story where I technically didn’t have to.” She huffed. “So that’s how much the Kiketsu heiress inherited her mother’s cunning… please tell me you fared better.”

The fox let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, I’m pretty crafty, I think. N-not that strong, though. How long have you been… remembering things?” She turned around, reaching for her bag. “And how are the others? I-I only came to this morning, because I found this on the ground yesterday…”

Reimu took the proffered manuscript. “Akyuu’s…? Did you really just find it on the ground?” The jidiao’s brow furrowed. “We both woke up about a month ago, and she's been writing it ever since. She was supposed to be taking it to your family’s store, how did it end up there…?”

Kosuzu coughed. “Um… so, some things happened yesterday in Gensokyo. And my mom was… kinda a big part of it.”

Reimu looked up, then turned to the letter on the floor. “...Right. Let’s see what the damages are, huh?” She picked it up, opening it with a claw.

Kosuzu waited, anxiously, for Reimu to finish reading. This gave her a front-seat view to the Shrine Maiden’s increasingly stormy expression.

“...Right. So a bunch of Tengu swarmed over the human village, huh?” Reimu scowled. “And how exactly was your mom a part of it?”

“W-well…” The fox felt a drop of sweat trickle down her face. “A-a cloaked figure in wh-white came up to Lady Iizunamaru, right? A-and she said there was an Immaterial Child - the Samurai, so I guess Youmu? - in the human village. And my mom, sh-she uh… she encouraged Iizunamaru to do a full investigation.” The fox felt Reimu’s eyes turn to her, then close, taking a deep breath. “...We stopped by the village to see the results, and then we came down here. So we’d be out of the way when the blowback came. P-please don’t be mad…”

The jidiao groaned. “Right, that’s just… ugh.” She started rubbing her head, trying to compose herself. “Okay, no, look at the positives; that probably means that Youmu actually was up there… and she’s immediately getting harassed by the god-damn tengu…”

Kosuzu stood back, watching her friend start to get worked up. “J-just calm down! I-I’m sure we can-”

“Young Mistress!” The door suddenly rattled, and an otter stuck his head through. “Young mistress, I have possible good news! A bell-wearing girl named Kosuzu-”

“I know, Asami!” Reimu said, glaring back at him. “She snuck in here while the guard and the scouts were all running away.”

Asami scanned the room. “...And she’s decided to hide among the plushies?” Kosuzu flinched. In hindsight, squeezing between the two green dogs was a mistake…

Reimu looked at the trembling fox, and sighed, doing her best to compose herself. “Asami, can you get what we discussed ready? Don’t worry about her, she’s not a threat.” The otter nodded, vacating the space.

The little fox breathed a sigh of relief, before turning to Reimu. The jidiao hesitantly reached out a hand, and after a few seconds’ hesitation, started to pet her. “...Sorry for scaring you, Kosuzu.”

Kosuzu returned to her human-ish form, blushing. “No, no, I should have known-”

“I’m not just talking about that.” Kosuzu blinked, turning to her. The jidiao’s face was gloomy. “...Last time… I don’t know how much you remember but… I failed to protect you. To protect anyone. And… and when Youmu was trying to hold out… I just gave up…”

Reimu looked up, trying to hold back tears. “From the moment I remembered everything, I’ve been trying to figure out… how I’d face you all again. What I’d say, and how I’d apologize… And instead, I nearly burnt you to a crisp… Kosuzu… I’m so sorry-”

Kosuzu reached out, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “...Well, when I imagined how our reunion would be, I didn’t think you’d find me sneaking into my room, either…” She paused, chuckling. “...Alright! Do-over, do-over!”

The jidiao stuttered, but Kosuzu chuckled. “Everything that happened up until now? Let’s just say it didn’t count. So… we’re starting fresh!” She stood up, walking around to Reimu’s front. “Reimu… I’m back. Kudamaki Kosuzu, here to help with anything you need!” She stuck out a hand.

Reimu stared at it… then smiled, helping herself to her feet. “Kicchou Reimu. Ready to bring the power of a dragon to bear on the problem.” She took Kosuzu’s hand, then pulled the girl into a hug.

Kosuzu gave a small chuckle, starting to tear up herself. They hung there, for a few moments.

"...Kosuzu. I've missed you."

"I-I..." She sniffled. "I've missed you too." She untangled herself, taking a few moments to reassemble herself. “Alright! Sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do. Mind filling me in?”

Reimu grinned. “It’d be my pleasure.”

---

A red-robed figure stood on the grounds, looking up at the figures through the window. The little jidiao, and her fox companion.

"...So, Kosuzu's here, is she?" The figure hummed. "Then that means..."

She paused, looking to the sky. And saw a small speck, trailing white light and black smoke, and undoubtedly in the process of trying to ensure a hopefully-at-least-somewhat-happy landing.

"...Ah, yep." The red figure grinned. "Right on time."

---

Kosuzu sat at the writing desk. Reimu skittered to and fro, pulling up bits and pieces of material. The fox settled herself for fiddling with the red scale necklace around her neck.

The scales were clearly a sign of trust; of the jidiao who lead the Kiketsu literally giving their closest allies a piece of themselves. The staff of this place were all wearing Yacchie’s green scales, while Reimu’s two colors were intended for various close allies of hers: red scales were meant to indicate (to those in the know) that these were the Immaterial Children, and white scales were to indicate others. They essentially guaranteed being treated as honored guests in the Kiketsu.

That wasn’t the only thing Kosuzu had been gifted. After a few moments of discussion, the two young girls had turned their attention to the plushies. Clearly, this had been how Reimu’s memory of everyone had manifested, but Reimu had happily offered Kosuzu any plushie she wanted. In fact, as many plushies as she wanted. All the plushies if she wanted just… just please don’t tell the others where they came from. Which was why Plush-suzu was now officially the property of the real deal.

“...So that was when you found out Akyuu sent the Yin-yang Orbs to you?” Reimu nodded, unfurling the map onto the table. “...Sounds like you both had a rough time of it.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it. Anyway, after that, me and Akyuu have been keeping in contact by trading letters, and we’ve been trying to track down you three. Hence, the map.”

Kosuzu smiled, then started to mull things over. “...Then… what’s with this need for an escort?”

“Well… me and Mama don’t get along when it comes to tactics.” Reimu shrugged. “I’ve got the training of a Kiketsu, but my instincts tend to lead me in another direction. And she’s also worried about various other people getting their hands on me and trying to manipulate me - and to be fair, she’s not wrong. So, rather than trying to beat my instincts out of me, Mama’s been looking for someone willing to work with me as… an advisor, of sorts. Someone who isn’t obviously a part of the Kiketsu, so it looks like I’ve been extracted from them, but still cunning enough to cover for me.”

Kosuzu tilted her head. “But it’s not been going well?” The fox chuckled. “Let me guess, you don’t trust them?”

The jidiao’s face curled into a snarl. “Slimy bastards one and all. Any schemers who aren’t already part of the Kiketsu aren’t part of it because if they were, they’d have already betrayed us. And, you know, a good part of our whole strategy is… not that.”

Kosuzu gave a small smile. “...Sounds like what you need is a friendly, independent kon-sultant.” Reimu chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Well, if Mom lets me, I’m happy to be your backup.”

Reimu smiled. “Great! If that’s the case, we can get the disguise from Chen, and we should be able to head topside in a matter of days. It’d be good to patch up my memories… there’s still lots of gaps, and some things I’m embarrassed to ask about yet. A-anyway, what about you?”

Kosuzu sighed. “I… don’t have many memories. And what I do have is mostly that last week.” The fox felt her tail droop. “...I barely remember anything about my family.”

The jidiao reached out to pat her shoulder, as Kosuzu continued. “...Well, there is one memory that feels pretty clear to me. Even before my memories came back, I kept having this… recurring dream of a woman, singing to me, while I’m lying down. A lullaby, maybe. And things are… so soft, and warm…” The fox smiled. “...It has to be my other mother. My… my current mother’s not exactly the type to break into song. If I had to pick a memory to keep… it’s not something I’d pick, but it’s something I’d regret not picking.”

Reimu returned a comforting smile of her own. “Must be a memory close to your heart. …WIsh I could tell you more about your family, but frankly, I’m not sure I ever even met them.” She flicked her tail. “All the more reason to get back topside sooner, eh?”

“Yep! The sooner, the better!” Kosuzu pumped her fists. “Once all four of us are on the surface, we’ll track down Marisa in a matter of days, I’m sure of it!”

There was a knock on the door. Kosuzu turned her head, and as Reimu opened the door, a trio of otters flitted in. Each of them was carrying a small plate - a plate of four cookies, a pair of caramel slices… Kosuzu felt herself drooling already.

Reimu smiled, taking a plate off the first otter. “Some brain food, Kosuzu? We’re gonna have those meetings soon, so… something to sweeten the deal, for you?”

Kosuzu started to shake her head. “N-no, I shouldn’t - m-my mother says I-I’ve put on a bit of weight already lately -”

Reimu chuckled. “Didn’t really feel that, myself. From my recollection, half the problem with kuda-gitsune is their appetites. Besides, you’re gonna be joining me on the front lines this time, right Kosuzu? And a few little sweet treats aren’t gonna blow you up.” She proffered them. “Come on, please? Mayumi barely eats anything, and only to humor me. I’m sitting on ridiculous amounts of money, the least I can do is treat you all.” She offered a plate to Kosuzu.

[ ] …No, she really shouldn’t… her mother said…
[ ] Well, one cookie wouldn’t hurt, would it?
[ ] Sweets eaten without parental witness have no calories.

[2] …No, she really shouldn’t… her mother said…
[20] Well, one cookie wouldn’t hurt, would it?
[10] Sweets eaten without parental witness have no calories.
-{14} Ok, maybe another.
--{14} Alright, just one more.
---{7} Just on- wait, what do you mean there's no more?
{1} Make sure to clean yourself off afterwards. No evidence, no crime.

“...Well, just one.” Kosuzu reached out, taking a sizeable cookie. Her friend smiled, as the two began to eat and chat.

“...So. You have leads on Youmu and Marisa?”

Reimu nodded. “More than leads - I’m pretty sure we’ve tracked Youmu down. Judging by exactly what that tipoff was, Youmu’s probably the so-called ‘Phantom of the Underground’, and we’ve got someone investigating that rumor directly. So that only leaves Marisa. …Wondering why we haven’t found her, yet. Or at least the girl who’s supposed to be her.”

Kosuzu nibbled away at her cookie. “...Ah, maybe I can talk to that. Chances are she’s one of the ‘forward-thinkers’, or at least her parents are.” Kosuzu pointed skyward. “There’s a lot of youkai who… value being able to stay in the village long-term over living it up now. So, at least while they’re in the village, they do their best to blend in with the humans. A lot of them had grassroots youkai networks or similar setups in place even before Haru started to get weaker, or they just work somewhere in the village undercover.”

Reimu hummed. “I see… of course, she could just live somewhere else and only visit occasionally.” She picked up a cookie, munching idly. “There’s not exactly a small number of youkai who can waltz in right now.”

Kosuzu nodded. “And that’s assuming she’s even the one they saw, right? …I certainly think I’d notice that blonde-and-braids anywhere.”

Reimu chuckled. “Well, if we’re talking haircuts, you’ve changed yours, haven’t you? Made me even more worried when I saw you like that.”

The fox tilted her head, swallowing the last of one cookie and… oh, what was the harm? She picked up a second. “Mmm? Why?”

“...Well… last time I remember seeing you like that, you were possessed.” Kosuzu’s eyes blinked, as she flashed back. Oh, yeah… that whole ordeal with the Night Parade Scroll. “Made me worry you were getting haunted or something.”

“Ah, eh, it’s nothing like that… and what about you, huh?” Kosuzu pointed at the Jidiao’s hair. “Last I remember, you had… like, black, blue-black hair. What’s with this earthy brown?”

Reimu reached up, grabbing a lock of her hair. “...Now that you mention it… not sure what’s up with that. Maybe it’s a half-way between my old hair and Mama’s blonde.”

Kosuzu finished off her second cookie. “...So… looking at it that way, Marisa could have a good number of hair colors, or a completely different hair style… or have something else wildly different about her.”

“No-one’s been unrecognizable.” Reimu said, giving a reassuring smile. “...And anyway, if we can’t find her, we get that manuscript published and she’ll find us, I’m sure. After all, it worked for you, didn’t it?”

“...Right! So we gotta get this back to Akyuu.” Kosuzu… hemmed and hawed for a moment, but picked up the caramel slice. “Then finding Marisa will be easy-peasy!”

Reimu nodded, finishing off her own second cookie and handing the tray to a waiting otter. . “Sounds like a plan, Kosuzu. And that means we just need the disguise from Chen…” She paused. “...And we should get a disguise for you, too. Hopefully it’s a quick process to replicate, now that they have a solution in place.”

Kosuzu tried to speak, but caramel blocked her way. Reimu took that as permission to continue. “So! Let’s make this official. Kudamaki Kosuzu; I wish to hire you as an advisor, for the period that we will be traveling to the surface - and possibly additional periods thereon. We will be paying handsomely for successful completion of this task. Do you accept?”

Kosuzu swallowed one, last, heavy piece of caramel. And gave a small smile. “Kicchou Reimu, I happily accept. Let’s get to the surface - together.” The two girls shook hands, and then looked down. “...Now let’s make sure this is all cleaned up before my mother sees.”

---

It was while they were working on the third plate - of some rather unusual fruit Kosuzu had never seen before, including something Reimu and the otters were very insistent in calling a ‘pitaya’ - that they heard their mothers coming up the stairs. Fortunately, by that point all the crumbs had been swept away, and the plates removed, leaving no evidence of the younger Kudamaki’s dalliance from diet.

…Well, she’d had more than she intended, but having one little dalliance wouldn’t have any long-term effects. And that’d just mean she’d have to work a bit harder to get it off later.

???? has been reduced to 3.

Kosuzu was the one who heard them first, the twitch of her ears tipping off Reimu. The two did one, last, quick check as their mothers approached.

“...perhaps a month ago, I would have agreed with you at least on premise.” Yacchie’s voice was cool and calm, with just a touch of lecturing in it. “But frankly, in competitive environments like the Animal Realm in particular, trying to push Reimu to be too much like me only put us both at risk of falling to the same plots. Inversely, having her own methodology makes us far less predictable to the other gangs.”

“Ah, I see. And I suppose that unpredictability is a useful tool to call on when you’re trying to retake the recently-lost territory?” The two girls shared a glance, hearing the not-so-subtle barb in assignment of whose fault that was.

Yacchie knocked on the door of the room. The girls did one, last, quick check for crumbs, before Reimu called to their mothers. “Come in!”

Slowly, the two parents entered… and Kosuzu found herself under the eyes of the Kiketsu Matriarch once more. Tsukasa, for her part, slithered over to the young Reimu, whose face was crystal clear in her apprehension.

“Young Lady Hakurei! I hear you’re planning a venture to the surface, soon?” The elder kuda-gitsune swooned over her. “Fortunately, by all accounts you’ve hit it off with my daughter, yes?”

Reimu narrowed her eyes, glaring at the kitsune. “...Yes, I have. And only with your daughter.” Tsukasa got the hint, stepping back a bit.

“Well, despite her age, she is still green in many practical applications. A rather… late bloomer, bordering on truant. But where her personal skills are lacking, she is nonetheless an… imaginative girl in many respects.” The fox clasped her hands together. “A position of an advisor may be just perfect for her specialized skillset.”

Yachie’s eyes were still locked on the girl, examining her up and down. “...Well, she successfully snuck into Reimu’s room, according to the reports. Nothing like practical experience to awaken one’s true talents.”

Tsukasa shrugged. “Let’s hope so, hmm? Now, what do you need specifically? Would you like me to accomp-”

“No.” Reimu’s voice was firm. “One kuda-gitsune is plenty, thank you.” Tsukasa stared at her, starting to speak before Reimu cut her off again. “And if that one is Kosuzu, I’m quite certain I can trust her.”

The elder fox stepped back, thinking. “...You’re referring to this… Immaterial Child business?” Tsukasa tilted her head. “...I must admit, I’m finding it rather hard to process. Perhaps that’s because I’ve never met these robed figures you say are skulking about.”

Yachie broke her stare into Kosuzu’s very soul to glance at Tsukasa. “...You haven’t? I’m surprised. They seem to like dropping hints in advance to the parents of their daughters’ imminent awakenings or arrivals.”

The fox shrugged. “Well, personally, it all sounds like some big scheme to me. You can be sure that there’s something they want out of this.”

“On that, at least, we are in agreement.” Yachie turned back to bore her eyes through Kosuzu some more. “...Reimu, are you sure you two will be fine?”

The young miko gave an affirmative grunt. “Yep. After all, I’ll be heading topside with Mayumi, right? And together, we’ll whip Kosuzu into shape, I promise.”

Tsukasa rolled her eyes. “Well, regardless of if you manage that or not, I’m sorry to say the contract fee is non-negotiable. Granted, it was originally discussed with the expectation that I’d be your advisor and Kosuzu would stay back and help with something like cooking the books, but by the sounds of it, I’ll be the one showing my expertise in the intersection of the culinary and literary arts.”

Yachie turned to stare at Tsukasa now, seeming to size her up for a moment. When the elder fox noticed she was staring at her, the dragoness turned to a small smile. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll find a way to keep you busy. Asami, can you get her started? We’ve got some meetings to do.”

Reimu looked up, interested. “Oh, who’s here?”

As the otter spirit lead Tsukasa away, Yachie gave a small sigh. “It seems you’re popular today, Reimu. That Keiki is back, and Ichi’s said she’ll be by later… but first, ‘Orange’ is here again. Just her, this time.”

Reimu nodded, turning to grin at Kosuzu. “Well, let’s go meet her, hmm?”

Kosuzu nodded, hoping that’d get her away from the unending cool gaze. “Y-yes. Let’s.”

---

It did not, in fact, get her away from the unending cool gaze. As soon as her mother had left, Yachie had been peppering her with questions. Almost random, in seemingly no coherent order. It was some hellish confluence between a job interview, a personality test, and an interrogation technique, and it was all the fox could do to answer honestly on every question that could be answered honestly, and try and catch anything too personal or specific.

Did she have any sisters? No.
Favorite food? Fried tofu, this time.
When had she remembered? This morning on the train.
Had she met Yukari or her shikigami? There were some vague memories, probably in her past life.
What did she remember of her family from her past life? Little more than the song.
Did she prefer the cookies or the slice? The slice.
What was her father from this life like? Forbidden topic at home. (Reimu had given her a Look at that response).
Favorite color? Yellow, particularly brass.
Had she ever been possessed or enchanted before? Multiple times in her past life.
How old was she? Turning ten next week.
Worst crime committed? …something in her past life she didn’t want to talk about. And in this life? Forgery of a newspaper printing business’ accounts. Did that mean she’d spent some time with the Tengu? Yes..
What were her feelings on dark blues? …they were soothing?
Did she have any spell cards? Various ideas, but her training as a fox was weak and her training as a human was forgotten.

By the end of it, Kosuzu was already feeling exhausted, but it wasn’t long after that she was seated at a small table, with Reimu’s Inquisitor of a mother sat right next to her. This appeared to be some sort of presentation-oriented meeting room, where items could be presented and displayed in the center to an audience on the side. Reimu, for her part, was standing in the middle.

In came Orange, holding a small box. “Hello, hello! I-it’s just me this time.” The girl was clearly anxious. “I’ve come with a new model of the Kakkushi-Seki!”

Reimu looked the girl up and down, assessing her for a moment. “...And you’re demonstrating it yourself, Chen?”

The girl nodded, reaching for her hand and tapping on something. Kosuzu watched, fascinated, as her form flickered, dispelling. The girl underneath the guise had a decidedly different visage - red dress with a green hat, brown hair, two cat ears, and two cat tails.

She lifted up her hand, now revealing a small ring.

“Well, you wanted a demonstration. So we took a local youkai and used her look as a base for me. Yours won’t be anywhere near as dramatic as this, but Lady Yukari asked me to keep my identity hidden, if possible.”

Kosuzu tilted her head, but debated whether asking a question was really worth it. Yachie caught her reaction, and gestured for her to ask. “Ah-um. Does that mean you need a reference of sorts for the transformation? Where did you get that?”

“Yes, we did. Fortunately, we’ve had the aid of Inaba Akyuu for the reference images. Her ability to project her memories means we’ve already got pieces for the other ones half-ready, we just need their genetic material.” She paused. “Akyuu’s is ready too, but she said she wanted to wait until Reimu proved it was working. Lady Yukari called it a stall tactic.”

Kosuzu tilted her head. “What do you need our genetic material for?” The girl looked at her, before Kosuzu clarified. “Ah, I’m one of the Immaterial Children, myself. I reincarnated as a kuda-gitsune.”

“Oh.” The girl seemed momentarily disappointed, which irritated Kosuzu a bit, but she caught herself. “Ah, we need the genetic material so the illusion can convincingly age with you. For example, where your ears are, we need to simulate hair, and that’s easier if the spell knows automatically how long your ears are. The less we transform, the better, after all - my master’s managed to really optimize it, so you can basically leave it running as long as you want.”

The fox tilted her head. “What other sort of things did you do to optimize it?”

“Well, it will automatically switch off if you get into combat. Up on the surface, we’re framing it as the same ‘blessing’ that makes the Dragon Miko the ‘dragon’ miko, just different species for each of you, so you can fight to your heart’s content. On top of that - this one Lady Ran was particularly proud of - they’re all hyper-optimized to you; if you were to use someone else’s, it’d be super obvious that the wrong person was using it. And we’ve improved the tracking, too - now it sends the location data at regular intervals while activated, rather than constantly.”

Both Reimu and Chen started to reach out to hand the box over, but Yachie coughed. “Before you do that… is it possible for young Kosuzu here to examine the enchantment?” Kosuzu was about to interject that there was probably no way she could really read a complicated spell like that, but Yachie’s eyes were locked on the nekomata, watching for any guilty reactions.

Chen blinked, then smiled. “Oh, sure! Just lemme…” She walked over to Kosuzu, fiddling a bit with her ring. As the fox looked closer, the magic started to glow, forming itself into orderly lines in front of it. “Lady Ran always includes a debug display.”

The young fox reached into her pocket, pulling out her reading glasses, and looked closely at the lines of runes. …It vaguely reminded her of the magic she’d tried, but the level of sophistication was simply incredible.

Fortunately, whatever these runes were seemed to count as some kind of language, for her ability kicked in, making it actually pretty easy to read. Everything was ordered into neat, organized lines, with a stilted but legible logic to it. For example, a lot of it seemed to be about declaring a particular shorthand for something, then modifying whatever that shorthand referenced. Kosuzu flitted through the debug display, marveling at its complexity.

[ ] Focus on the transformation feature.
[ ] Investigate the tracking.
[ ] Scan the whole thing.

>>209796

More obviously distracting, but also more hostile. Balances to everything, you know.
New thread is up at >>209799!