Silence. Words that wanted to flow were trapped somewhere between a headache and a gaping mouth.  

He looked her up and down as he slowly nibbled on his last fry and placed his hand on his neck. Picking up the menu once more, he waved the waitress over and ordered a 'cheeseecake', whatever that was.  

"Wait," Aki finally managed to get out. "You don't get to drop something like that on me and move on like it was nothing!"  

"It was nothing," he said confidently, almost cockily. "I saved a village from some ogres, got chased by the villagers, and somehow ended up here."  

"Let me see." Aki looked around to make sure no one was looking before she got up to sit next to him. "Let's make this quick."  

"Sure thing, sweetheart. But don't you think it'd be better to do this with more—Ack!" He hit his knee on the table as he felt her cold hand on his back as she pulled down his collar. "Space...," he muttered.  

She was beyond shocked, and her curiosity was becoming even more evident. "I didn't expect you to have a tattoo. When did you get it?"  

"It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark. Last time I checked, you're born with it. It's my clan and my element."  

She blinked rapidly. "So your element is fire?"  

"Yeah."  

"And what is that hourglass-like marking?"  

"Hourglass? I shouldn't have... Oh, no..."  

"What's the problem?"  

He looked at her with a new emotion, fear. "I always wondered why they didn't fade."  

Aki understood the basics due to what she thought was a myth, but to hear it from his mouth was outrageous. When a kitsune is born, there are 13 different elements that they can be blessed with: Celestial, Wind, Spirit, Fire, Earth, River, Ocean, Forest, Mountain, Thunder, Sound, Time, and Void/Darkness.  

"Some develop two elements, but it's rare. After your element is given to you, the other choices should fade over time—about a year or two."  

Aki's mind was working overtime to keep up, but she wanted... no, needed... to know more. "And yours haven't faded?"  

"No. There is a legend of a terrible kitsune who was blessed with all 13 elements. Instead of thanking The Creator and serving in His realm, he was prideful. He walked the Earth among creation, using his gift to destroy anyone who opposed him. So, The Creator banished him to the depths of Hell and stripped him of all elements except one."  

"Dark?" Aki asked quietly.  

"Yes. And because of that evil bastard, any kitsune blessed with all 13 elements was considered a bad omen and... well... disposed of..."  

Aki found her body moving before her brain could register everything. She hugged the distraught man tightly, catching them both off guard, but it was too late to stop.  

"You are not your predecessor. You won't shun The Creator, will you?," she asked trepidatiously.

"Absolutely not. I wouldn't dream of it," Fluffy answered immediately.  

"Well then, you have already chosen a different path." She let go of him and cleared her throat. "Now that we have that settled, where are you going to stay? And where is your family? They came with you, yes?"  

He shrugged. "I don't know. That's what I was doing when I left your house. Searching for them and my Soul Cube."  

"Soul Cube?" A headache was creeping up again...  

"A weapon that was gifted to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather by Kami-sama Himself. It has the extraordinary ability to create any known weapon, as long as the user has seen it."  

"Which makes it pretty powerful, huh?"  

Fluffy shifted in his seat. "Yeah. It's got one serious drawback, though."  

"Which is?" Aki knew she shouldn't try to take in any more of this insanity, but there was no turning back.  

"It's a special artifact that needs to be fed constantly. It runs on spiritual energy, and it is tethered to me. So, unless I disconnect from it or feed it, it will die. The only way for me to disconnect from it is to pass it on to a worthy heir or cease to exist."  

"Oh." That's all Aki could get out. It was a lot. He was crazy for telling her this, and she was even crazier for believing every word. "We should get out of here."  

Fluffy nodded. "I agree, but I have nowhere to go."  

Aki left the cash to cover their meal on the table and stood up. "Follow me."  

Fluffy took the hat off his head and tossed it back to Aki, who began to panic before realizing that the ears she had struggled to hide beneath her knitted article had long since disappeared.  

They exited the café and walked a few blocks until they reached a tall brick building with a staircase that zigzagged upward.  

"Is this tower yours, woman?" Fluffy asked, eyeing the building.  

"Just the third floor. I own the two rooms on that level. And stop calling me 'woman.' I have a name—it's Suzu Aki."  

"Is that supposed to matter to me?"  

"You wanna sleep on the street?"  

Fluffy rolled his eyes contemptuously, then sighed. "No. Not after these past couple of days I've had."  

"Ha! What do you mean?! Your life's apparently filled with craziness all the time. I just watched a second pair of ears appear on your head. All while believing the nutty tale you just spewed from your lips. So don't complain to me about craziness! You're all the crazy I can handle right now."

"Listen, sweetheart. You can't handle me. But for the sake of having shelter tonight, I'll comply." Fluffy smirked and started toward the stairs.