“The reason I didn’t tell you I was making breakfast is because of your tendency to use questionable ingredients.” Kirihime’s shoulders slumped. “However, if you like, you can help me clean the dishes.”
Kirihime perked up seconds later. “I’ll help you clean up after breakfast, then.”
Seated on Lilian’s left, Camellia absently munched on her rice. Looking at her mom made Lilian feel guilty. Not just for running away and worrying her, but for a lot of other things as well. It was sad to see the woman who’d given birth to her and her sister reduced to such a pitiful state, especially since she had been so much more, once upon a time.
Kotohime used to tell her stories about her mom, tales of a once legendary kitsune who’d earned the title The Dancing Lily. Lilian didn’t know how much of those stories were true, and she would likely never find out. Camellia’s mind had degraded long before she and her fraternal twin gained their second tail and became supernatural creatures.
Lilian turned her attention away from her mom and looked at her sister, then looked away when Iris noticed her looking. Wanting to pretend she hadn’t been staring, her eyes strayed to the empty seat beside her. Kevin’s seat.
She stood up.
“Lilian-sama?”
“Do you think you can put some of this food in a lunch box for me?” asked Lilian. “I’m going to see how Kevin’s training is coming along, and I want to bring him some food. I’m sure he’s going to be starving.”
“Always thinking about your mate, hm?” Kotohime’s small smile actually made Lilian blush, just a little. “If that is what you want, then I can certainly put together a breakfast bento for the two of you. Just wait one moment while I grab one of my bento boxes.”
While Kotohime went off to grab a bento box, Iris stood up.
“I’ll go, too.”
“Huh?”
Iris looked away when Lilian’s eyes fell upon her. “I still don’t know my way around here very well, so I’ll come with you in order to get a feel for the city.”
Lilian didn’t need to think about her decision. If her sister went with her, then she could apologize during the time it took to travel from home to Mad Dawg Fitness.
“Okay.”
“Great! Just let me put some clothes on.”
It was only as Iris strolled out of the room that Lilian noticed her sister was wearing a very familiar negligee.
“What are you doing in my sexy lingerie?! Get out of that outfit right now!”
Iris’ tinkling laughter echoed down the hall, causing Lilian to scowl.
Maybe she shouldn’t apologize, after all.
***
“Hiiii!”
A wide-eyed Kevin stumbled backwards as Tall came at him in a swift charge. The man moved so fast! He was far faster than someone his size had any right to move. He was in front of Kevin within seconds, launching a quick and powerful straight with his right hand.
Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Kevin leapt to the right. His haste caused him to stumble and fall to the ground—which was fortunate, as it meant he avoided getting an elbow to the face when Tall realized his initial attack had missed and tried to do a follow-up.
Somehow managing to turn his fall into a shoulder roll, Kevin scrambled back to his feet… and was just in time to see another fist sailing at him like a loaded spring.
“Oh, God!”
He tried to move backwards, but ended up tripping over his own two feet. Instead of backpedaling, he fell onto his back. At the same time, his feet kicked up into the air.
Woosh!
All the air left Tall’s lungs as a pair of feet were planted into his gut. Kevin, still rolling backwards, forced Tall to move with him. The much larger male soon found out that Kevin had an impressive amount of strength in his legs, as he was tossed over Kevin and hit the ground with a loud thud.
“Oof!”
Kevin scrambled to his feet and saw that his sparring partner was already standing again. Tall wiped away the bit of spittle that escaped his mouth and glared fiercely at him.
“That was your one freebie, kid. Everybody always gets one.”
“Eh?”
“But now I’m getting serious.”
“EH?!”
“Prepare yourself!”
Kevin screamed like a little girl when Tall charged him again. The muscular giant of a man came in with a two-three combination: jab, jab, hook. His fists moved so swiftly that all Kevin’s eyes could make out were a pair of blurs.
Kevin moved faster than he ever had before. His mind could scarcely begin to comprehend the speed with which his opponent attacked him. However, while his mind seemed incapable of reacting in time, his body, it appeared, had no desire to get hit. It moved of its own accord, doing everything humanly possible to avoid having his face smashed in.
When his foe launched another combination, Kevin tripped again, this time while moving to the left. Rather than falling to the mat, he swung his arms wide in an effort to maintain his balance. His body spun about like a ballerina, only with far less grace. Despite his lack of elegance, he managed to do an admirable job of spinning around his opponent’s body, avoiding all the strikes sent his way. He also managed to crack his foe in the back of the head with one of his wildly flailing arms. The older, more muscular and more experienced man was sent to the ground a second time.
“This is just like the time we were fighting him back at that school!”
“Did ya see that, Kiara? Ya saw that, didn’t ya?!”
“I saw it.” Kiara had her arms crossed as she stood by her other two former disciples. She observed Kevin with keen eyes, studying his movements, analyzing and cataloguing them for future reference. What she saw intrigued her.
“So, what do you make of it?”
“Hmm…” A thoughtful look. “Hard to say. He’s definitely got some kind of natural talent for not getting hurt and hurting his enemies while he’s at it, but I’m not so sure it’s a natural talent for fighting.”
“Wha… but you saw what he just did! That kid’s got natural badass written all over him.”
“Hmph. If you want to think that, then go right ahead. I’ve got a more realistic hypothesis in mind.”
“What’s that?”
Kiara didn’t answer, so the one Kevin called Taller went back to watching the spar.
It was almost amazing to see how Kevin managed to dodge all of Tall’s attacks. He didn’t do so in a way that looked graceful or nonchalant, but awkward and graceless instead. He stumbled and tripped and generally looked like a fool, and yet, somehow, someway, it helped him avoid getting his teeth busted in.
That didn’t mean he had an easy time of it. His strange manner of evasion may have helped him avoid Tall’s attacks, but due to the difference in their levels of physical fitness, Kevin still had a difficult time of it. His lack of experience and ability to put his natural athleticism to good use also hampered his combat abilities.
Kevin might have been fast when it came to running track, but that meant nothing when he couldn’t make use of that speed. He was used to moving linearly, not weaving around punches and kicks like a monkey on crack.
“Hya!”
Another attack came. A straight jab. They seemed to be Tall’s favorite punch, and he used them quite often. Kevin tried to dodge, to get out of his sparring partner’s range, but couldn’t quite manage it.
He did manage to do something else, however.
Stumbling again from another awkward attempt at dodging, Kevin reached out with his left hand and tried to grab something, anything, in order to steady himself. And grab something he did. A thick, muscular forearm. Kevin, not even paying attention to what he had grabbed, tried to pull himself to his feet.
And then another miracle happened.
Because Tall had been rushing forward, he had a lot of built up momentum. When Kevin pulled on him, Tall stumbled. Kevin then shifted his feet in an unwieldy attempt at steadying himself, which resulted in Tall’s
momentum and weight being used against him.
The end result was Kevin shoulder-tossing Tall like he was a ragdoll. The muscled man hit the ground, his lungs emptying in a loud whoosh! as he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, blinking his dazed eyes and trying to understand what had just happened.
Breathing heavily, sweat accumulating on his brow and dripping down his chest, Kevin watched his opponent gasp for a breath that would not come. He blinked the sweat from his eyes, and then wiped it away when that didn’t work, all the while staring at his downed opponent in confusion.
What… what just happened?
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kevin turned to the sound of clapping as Kiara walked onto the mat, wearing the feral smirk that made her seem like she was perpetually amused.
“I think I’ve seen enough.” She turned her head as Tall climbed to his feet. “Take ten. I don’t think there’s much you can do here.”
“Ugh… right…”
As Tall limped off the mat, Kiara turned to Kevin. “I think I’m finally beginning to understand why my boys thought you were some kind of master combatant.”
Kevin scratched the back of his head. “Really? That’s good, because I have no idea why―wait.” His face scrunched up. “Master combatant?”
“Correct. I’ve finally uncovered your secret, which means that your real training can now begin.” At Kiara’s whistle, Midget strode onto the mat. “He’ll be your new opponent.” When she saw Kevin’s incredulous expression, her smirk widened. “Don’t let his appearance fool you. Of my three disciples, he is the best.”
When Midget cracked his knuckles and gave him a look that promised payback, Kevin could only gulp in response.
I somehow get the feeling that this is going to hurt. A lot.
***
After Lilian and Iris left for Mad Dawg Fitness, Kotohime and Kirihime washed the dishes. Camellia had offered to help, but they had rather forcefully refused the offer, and not just because they were her vassals. Having a woman who tripped on air clean the dishes was asking like for disaster to strike twice.
When they finished the dishes, Kotohime suggested they go shopping, stating that they were running low on food. She also invited Camellia. Inari only knew what would happen if they let that woman stay at home alone.
Because they had no mode of transportation, the trio of kitsune had to take the bus, which took a little over fifteen minutes to arrive at their destination: Secure Shopping.
They became the subject of many stares upon entering the grocery store. People from all walks of life watched the trio, their eyes following the group like unbearably horny yōkai looking at their next conquest.
Kotohime wondered if it was their clothing. She had to admit that their outfits were quite eccentric. That morning she’d chosen to wear a kimono depicting a savanna landscape, and her sister wore her usual French maid outfit. Meanwhile, Camellia had donned something vaguely resembling a toga.
Yes, Kotohime determined, it was quite easy to see why people were staring at them. None of these outfits could be considered normal in this modern age, especially in the United States. They couldn’t have been more conspicuous if they tried—except maybe if they brought their tails and ears out.
Don’t do it, Camellia.
“Hawa?”
The group pretty much ignored the gawking. The only person aware of the many stares was Kotohime. Kirihime might have also noticed, but if she did, then she did an admirable job of pretending she didn’t.
“What’s on our list?” Kirihime looked at her elder sister. Behind them, Camellia tried to wander off, but Kotohime placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder before she could get herself lost.
“Please do not leave my side, Camellia-sama. It would not do for you to get lost in this store.”
Camellia pouted a bit, but relented. “Muu, okay.”
With the threat of their childish charge wandering off gone, Kotohime addressed her sister. She pulled a list out of her Extra Dimensional Storage Space, unfolded it and looked over the contents. “We have a pretty large list. There’s a lot of vegetables and meats on here, and we’ll need to buy some seasonings. Come. I would like to get the shopping done by noon, so I can prepare dinner for Lilian-sama, Kevin-sama, and Iris-sama.”
The trio were just about to begin shopping when someone spoke up behind them. “You know Kevin and Lilian?”
As one, the trio turned to see a woman with short blond hair and a cheerful grin. She wore the clothing of a clerk; black pants, khaki shirt and an apron thrown over it.
“Dawn-san, how are you this morning?” Kotohime gave the woman a polite bow. Kirihime followed her sister’s footsteps and curtsied. Camellia just stood there. She wasn’t even paying attention.
Dawn gave them a smile. “I’m doing good. You know how it is here, nothing ever changes.”
“Indeed.”
The smile vanished to be replaced by blatant curiosity. “I didn’t realize you knew Kevin and Lilian. How do you know them? And who is this?”
“Ah, yes, please allow me to introduce my sister, Kirihime.” Kotohime gestured toward her sister. “She and I work for Camellia-sama here, who is the mother of Lilian-sama.”
Dawn didn’t think she would ever get used to the strange suffixes Kotohime added to people’s names.
“Um, where is this Camallia-sama you’re talking about?”
“Camellia-sama is…” Kotohime looked behind her and froze. Camellia wasn’t there. “Oh dear. It looks like she wandered off again.”
At her sister’s words, Kirihime spun around, her eyes growing quite large when she saw the empty space that her mistress should have been occupying. “M-My Lady? My Lady Camellia? O-oh no! Where did my lady go?!”
While Kirihime placed her hands on her cheeks and began to fret, Kotohime gave Dawn an apologetic bow. “I apologize, but while I would enjoy speaking with you some more, my sister and I really must be going. It seems our mistress has wandered off, again, and it is imperative that we find her.”
“Mistress?”
“Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
Kotohime grabbed the cart and her sister before walking off, leaving a confused and somewhat embarrassed Dawn behind.
“What did she mean by mistress?” Her eyes suddenly became wider than dishpans and rounder than hockey pucks. “Surely it couldn’t be… but no, I must be imagining things. That must be it. Those two look like maids, so they must work for that Camellia person as her servants. Yes, there’s no way those two could be transvestite pleasure slaves who cater to the whims of their unusual and horny mistress. Definitely not.”
Shaking her head one last time, the woman went back to work, and decided to forget this encounter ever happened.
***
Tension. Thick, cloying tension that threatened to suffocate her was what Lilian felt as she walked alongside her sister. Mad Dawg Fitness wasn’t that far from where they lived, but at that moment, Lilian could have sworn it was hours away.
She wanted to say something, anything, if only to rid herself of this strange pressure that surrounded them, choking her like a tail around her neck.
Unfortunately, Lilian was having one of those rare occasions where she just couldn’t think of anything to say. Thus, she remained silent.
She did, however, peer at her sister out of her peripheral vision. Iris walked by her side, black hair fluttering like elegant streamers in the wind, shining and lustrous as the rising sun’s rays struck each strand and captured them within its luminescence. Her hips swayed from side to side with every step taken, moving with a natural sexuality that Lilian had never been able to accomplish, no matter how hard she tried.
Her sister’s ability to do anything and make it look extraordinarily sexy had always amazed her. Unlike Lilian who, for one reason or another, had never managed to gain that kind of sexiness, her sister made everything she did look like something out of a teenage boy’s wet dream. She was eroticism in motion.
/> It was actually kind of scary.
Iris noticed Lilian glancing at her out of the corner of her eyes, and the redhead quickly turned her head to look at something else.
I am not turned on by my sister’s swaying hips, Lilian told herself. I’m not. And I’m definitely not aroused by the way her breasts are bouncing. No way.
“I want you to know that I still don’t approve of you and Kevin.”
The words made Lilian snap her head back toward her sister. “What? But why? Is it because he’s human?”
“Don’t be stupid. I don’t care about that. It wouldn’t matter to me if he was human, kitsune or any other kind of yōkai. He could be an alien and I still wouldn’t care.”
“Then why?”
“Because you’re too good for him.” Lilian wanted to look surprised, but somehow, she knew her sister would say that. It still embarrassed her, though. “You’re too good for everyone. None of these people are worthy of being your mate. Not Kevin. Not that idiot, Jiāoào. No one.”
“Iris…”
“The only person deserving of your attention is me.”
And just like that, any warmth she might have felt at her sister’s compliment died a horrible, horrible death.
“You’re wrong,” Lilian tilted her head down, long locks of shimmering red hair overshadowing her eyes and hiding a portion of her face from view.
“What was that?”
“I said you’re wrong.” Like a curtain, Lilian’s hair parted when she looked at her sister, her eyes narrowed and her lips set into a thin line. “You’re wrong about Kevin. He is worthy of being with me. You just don’t understand because you don’t know him like I do. And besides, who is and isn’t worthy of being my mate isn’t your call to make. It’s mine.”
Iris frowned, but didn’t refute her sister’s words—at least not out loud.
We’ll see about that.
***
Kiara was right. Midget, despite looking weaker due to his shorter stature and large front teeth, was a much better fighter than Tall. His strikes were faster, more sure and packed a hell of a lot more punch. Kevin had tried blocking one of Midget’s punches at the beginning of their spar. Now his right arm was numb and dangling uselessly at his side.
A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4) Page 14