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  PoV:

  1. Wendy (Our Struggling Brooch Girl!)

  Wendy’s ears twitched from the whispers of the foxes dotting the street, a group moving to take their pce and intercept Aiden. It seemed they were hanging out in the vulpes district to hook up with people more than practice, but it was the weekend. Most of them moved in distinctive groups of tails—one tails with only a single appendage, and two with the twos.

  She kept her gaze on the polished stone pathways, her ears drawing in their conversations like a bck hole in a sea of chaos.

  “Did you catch that? Such a delicate dance she pys—asking about another while hiding her own heart. Curious, isn’t it?”

  “Tanuki are supposed to be less transparent. Even when she tried to mask her intent, it seeped through like mist through silk. Poor thing thinks she’s guarding a treasure that isn’t even hers.”

  Her cheeks burned, mind screaming at their assumptions, or maybe the two-tailed—over a century old—women were just trying to tease her. She could see it all with her 360 degree vision, seeing the flick of tails, side-long snickers, and thoughtful gnces.

  “Aiden’s patience is admirable, though a touch…more cautious than I had taken him for. He treads carefully around the subject of Sora. And yet, I wonder—does he truly see what stands before him with Wendy, or is he merely captivated by the novelty of the scenario? Surely, he notices.”

  “Perhaps it’s not him Wendy should worry about, but the reflection staring back at her. Insecurity has a taste, and it lingers, doesn’t it, Eun-chae?”

  “Mmm, and you felt it too? The sour edge of jealousy mixed with something…darker. That shadow in her magic…or whatever force she used that isn’t magic, nor entirely spiritual. Chilling!”

  The first fox adjusted her kimono and gnced back at her while preparing to engage Aiden, who looked somewhat troubled in their absence. “Indeed. The question remains—how long before she realizes she’s in over her head? I’ve seen the way she looks at her ‘sister’ as they call each other. How will that drama end? Shall continue with the lower lectures to watch?”

  “Oh, we shall. And if our dear Firebird needs a little…crity, well, it would be a shame to let such confusion fester, wouldn’t it?”

  Bitches… Well, I guess they’re vulpes, and not the Sora kind, she internally grumbled. I’m not pying your games. I am worried about Sora…and she is my sister. We share soul essence, whatever that means… Maybe I should learn more about that.

  Trying to put the chatty and flirty women behind her, she made a conscious effort to focus her vision into a normal human range to put them out of sight and out of mind. Her gaze darted to Nilly’s hand around hers, the humming cat not paying any mind to their talk.

  Are they totally wrong, though… Sora makes friends so easily. I wasn’t like this, but…after Mom sold me off, I just… What am I supposed to do?

  Her tail bristled as the scent of the realm came into focus as she breathed in.

  That’s not an excuse. I betrayed Sora…but she welcomed me back with open arms. How did you heal so fast? I’m scared all the time, and this…fvor.

  Her tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth, an involuntary action at this point. She could taste everything here. The distinct crispness of magic filtering through the atmosphere, the faint tang of lingering transformation spells, the sweet, syrupy undertone of vulpes gmour hanging thick over the district like perfume from the many foxes who enhanced their appearance like women wore makeup. The worst part? It all felt normal now.

  How can I tell Sora whenever we’re out, I can taste people…like real food? That’s monster stuff… Real monster stuff.

  A whiff of something buttery drifted past—a vulpes man with a group of fae women, watching him cook up pastries near the corner to their excitement. It wasn’t the pastries that excited her appetite.

  Wendy’s stomach clenched, an unsettling ache rolling through her gut. Stop it. Focus. You’re not going to turn into some food-obsessed freak just because you don't want to think about Aiden’s weird, stupid, infuriating answer. No, maybe focus on that! Not…eating people.

  “Hey, hey, Broochie, you hungry?” Nilly’s voice snapped her back to reality, the feline’s gold eyes twinkling as she skipped beside her. “Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about what Birdbrain said. No, maybe something more…primal?”

  Wendy scowled as she let go of her hand and tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie and gring ahead, where Mistress Katie Mil’s lecture hall loomed in the distance.

  You hit both nails on the head…

  “I’m not sure how stable you are right now,” she sighed, scratching the back of her neck as Nilly moved her hands to the back of her head with an unbothered gnce her way. “You seem to have a far better nose than you did this past week and I’m just…noticing things.”

  “Ohhh,” Nilly purred, nudging her side with a teasing elbow. “Noticing, huh? Running circles in your head? I can taste it too, you know. How everything has been seasoned with just the right amount of zest. You got that sniffy-sniff thing going strong today, hmm? Tomorrow I might be totally different kitty. So best ask me now. ”

  Wendy groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. On one hand, Nilly is in a rather…feral mood today, which is kind of new. Plus, there’s Aunt Rose’s agitated thorns…

  She caught the bck vines sprouting out of various areas again before they vanished. A lump formed in her throat as her focus drifted to the brooch attached to her front. That’s for tomorrow…probably. Sora knows what she is. Well, she doesn’t care all that much about Dad’s side because she’s so focused on Mia’s magic…but I don’t even have my mom’s powers… I don’t.

  “Nilly…” Bringing a hand up to press against her true body, she whispered, “I don’t know how I’m supposed to say what I’m feeling. It’s like my senses are set to overdrive, and it’s driving me nuts. That’s not everything that’s agitating me, too.”

  Magic—power—fvor. Every single thing in Avalon had a distinct texture to it, from the rich, decadent taste of magic in the air to the earthy, spiced aroma of old tomes stacked inside the lecture halls and its residence. The vulpes she passed tasted of yered illusions—sweet with deception, savory with secrets, and bitter with jealousy, insecurity, or a strive to find purpose.

  “What have I become? It should be revolting, but…it’s not. That’s scary. Maybe I just need to eat something normal,” Wendy muttered under her breath, half to herself.

  The Cat Mother pushed her lips to the side, jumping forward a bit to look back at her with a rather kind smile for her nonchant attitude. “I understand you very well, Wendy.”

  Stopping in her tracks as the dark-haired teen blocked her path, Nilly drew around her split tail, a fsh of green fmes igniting across them that split off to spin around them in five floating spheres of ghostly light. In her gut, Wendy felt an unusual pulse unlike anything the vulpes, Sora, or Eyia had released emanating from the fire—she understood it for the first time.

  “…A silencing…and illusion spell?”

  “Close,” Nilly stated with a small, secretive smile, putting a finger to her lips and winking at her. “Here. A treat from outside.”

  The cat extended her hand and made a loud snap.

  CRACK!

  Wendy’s eyes widened as a massive store of something…spicy and rich in nutrients emerged from the igniting jade fmes that materialized above her hand.

  “It’s…really a fish. But I can’t…see it? It’s massive…like rger than this whole isnd! And…so small? Condensed?” she questioned, reaching out to take it in both hands, staring at the hypnotic dance as it tried to escape. “It’s alive. Huh?!”

  “Kinda.” Her tail bristled as two single-tailed vulpes walked straight through them as if they were ghosts. Nilly put a hand on her hip, shoulder-length hair shifting as her head tilted to the side. “I left earlier this week to collect some good food for you. It was a bit of a long trip. Hunting is something a good mom should know to feed her little kittens. I’ve got lots of little kitties all over the pce, so I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.”

  Tucking her bottom lip under, she stared into the green fmes of the ‘sardine’ in her hands. Heat formed in her chest, rising to her throat and up her nose. Tears soon followed. Guilt. Confusion. Anger. Desperation. Her adorable and stalwart mother popped into her head, bushy tail puffy with pride and a desire to serve.

  “This…will fix my hunger. I know it will. Why am I thinking about my mom? Why can’t I be more like her… She tried so hard to help me but…but…”

  Her stomach rumbled, louder and more hungry than she could remember; it felt like it should have split the academy in half. She stared into the fmes, red liquid running out of her brooch and tears falling down her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong with me? I can’t be happy for my best friend…my sister. I’m terrified someone is going to take her from me. I hate that I feel so…angry all the time. Why am I angry? Why?” she growled, using one hand to rub away the red liquid falling down her brooch and her sleeve to clean her cheeks. “Kari is trying really hard. Sora is…and I don’t know where I fit.”

  Nilly moved closer, cupping her hand and guiding the fmes toward her brooch, whispering, “You’re Wendy. You’re you…and you don’t need to be anyone else. We’ll get through this, right?” she beamed, showing a bright smile. “I think you’ll have a breakthrough tomorrow.”

  The entity trapped inside the green fmes began to spin, drawing into her real mouth as it neared her throbbing body. All the pain began to ease, a meaty fvor blooming throughout her entire being as the st wisps were drawn in.

  Looking into Nilly’s compassionate, deep eyes, Wendy returned a hopeful smile. “You mean it?”

  “Mhm. I know it feels like you’re drowning, unsure who you are or if anyone really understands you. I do. Will you love yourself for who you were…or who you are? Have a little patience,” Nilly brought her hands back down, squeezing them and showing a confidence Wendy wanted—drew strength from. “Have faith in Sora. She hasn’t forgotten you. If you get hungry again, just ask me. I’ll have a snack in stock.”

  Wendy shot forward, pulling her cat friend into a hug, a part of her that probably only she knew, and that meant something right now. “Thank you for staying with me, Nilly… I don’t care if you’re an ancient super cat of doom. Thank you for being my friend when I know you’re suffering.”

  Nilly held her close, a distant, somber note rumbling in her throat. “I never leave anyone… Everyone else always leaves me. A sad cat mom is a mom without her kittens… Thank you for always taking my side… Even when I don’t know who I am. For being my friend when everyone else loses faith when I fly too far…and sees who I’ve become. It means more than you know.”

  Several seconds passed, and then Nilly vanished from her arms.

  Blinking, the fire was gone, and now a new cat girl stood in front of her. Ears pulled back, chewing on her bottom lip and gncing back at Aiden as he was pulled away from the district by a cluster of girls, their Nilly was back.

  “So…that just happened. Aiden really is a smooth—eh?! Wendy? Are you crying? What’s wrong?”

  Chuckling at the big, concerned gaze of the teen cat, Wendy sniffed back her tears and hopped forward to bring her into another hug. “Just happy we’re friends! I promise to always be here for you.”

  “O-Okay?” Nilly awkwardly returned it, patting her back, tail stiff as a board. “Did I miss something and blink out again? Sorry.”

  Drawing back, Wendy shook her head, strength returning to her damaged heart. “Nothing to be sorry about. Shall we go and see who this Mistress Katie Mil is?”

  Ears perking up, Nilly nodded. “Mhm! Oh, but, umm…what about Aiden? Does he like Sora? Is he scared of her because she’s a vulpes? I’m so confused.”

  Wendy shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets and sighed, the weight against her chest sliding away as she gnced back to where the Firebird had been. “I shouldn't have asked. It was stupid. But…maybe something will come from it. Sora knows how I feel. It’s her decision. I’ve got my own thing to investigate.”

  “I guess you’re not wrong,” Nilly hummed, leaning over to look past her toward the emptying street. “But also, asking was totally necessary! I’m telling you, someone had to poke the Birdbrain and see if he’d squawk. I didn’t have the heart! I’m a big scaredy cat.”

  Wendy snorted despite herself and gave her a critical look. “The heroine who saved the whole Founder race, sacrificing herself nine times?”

  Split tail beginning to wag with confidence budding in her hesitant gaze, Nilly smiled. “I guess I did…at some point. But all cats start at kittens. I’m…not on that level.”

  “And I think Aiden did more of a half-squawk, half-wormed his way out of answering me… He certainly is smooth.”

  “And yet,” Nilly flipped around, finding her hands behind her back and building strength as her eyebrows wiggled, “you still care because Sora can be a dunce. Admit it, Wendy. You’re totally invested in Sora’s love life. I’m onboard to vet the boys with you!”

  “I would have said absolutely not a minute ago,” Wendy mused. “But now…maybe I should get a little involved in my sister’s life.”

  “Mmmhmm—wait, really?!”

  “Sure.” Wendy chimed, tail beating behind her and catching a more soothing pulse from Aunt Rose, seeing her thorns growing out of a potted half-dead pnt. “Right now, I feel like I could fly. Sora’s doing her thing…and we’re doing ours.”

  “Yeah!”

  They fell into a rhythm, Nilly’s rebuilding pyful banter dancing around Wendy’s thoughts like a cat toying with yarn. She appreciated it. The constant tug of hunger was gone—not less—gone. Everything smelled nice, but now it was as if she were in an endless field of flowers instead of a buffet.

  Thanks, Nilly. I’ve got your tail, she giggled internally, but not in a bad way.

  Up ahead, Mistress Katie Mil’s lecture hall came into view, its tall, fox-carved doors standing slightly ajar. The hologram of the poised, elegant fox woman radiated beside it. The faint scent of magic experiments gone slightly wrong lingered in the air—a burnt sugar tang mixed with a hint of wildflower and something distinctly metallic. Probably transformation magic.

  Where are you trying to lead me, Yeon-ah? Probably a trap but that seems too…obvious. Diane and a nine-tailed Kumiho who somehow has bypassed her human flesh requirement. Maybe Professor Kurosaki can tell me more about her.

  “You sure about this?” Nilly asked, faltering slightly on their approach. “Yeon-ah’s probably waiting inside with one of her sly smiles and ‘I know something you don’t’ looks.”

  Wendy nudged her forward. “Well? You gonna stare at the door all day, or are we gonna get this over with? C’mon, Cat Mom. If it goes bad, we can always turn tail and run. I thought Nilly was the fastest ever?”

  “I mean…I am pretty fast, to be fair,” she mumbled with a strained smile.

  Swallowing hard, Wendy squared her shoulders and stepped inside.

  “Yeah,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Wendy stepped into Mistress Katie Mil’s lecture hall, immediately adjusting to the dimly lit space. The air smelled faintly of wildflowers and something more elusive, something that reminded her of Yeon-ah. Of course, the fox would have frequented these halls.

  The faint aroma pricked at her senses, stirring a quiet unease in her gut. Nilly, usually a bundle of chaotic energy, lingered close behind, her golden eyes darting around the room with feline wariness. Proceeding through the quiet main entryway, they followed the professor’s soft lulling voice.

  Professor Katie Mil stood at the front of the room, her nine gray tails fanning out in a graceful arc behind her. Her presence exuded a serene wisdom, yered with an undercurrent of mischief, and Wendy couldn’t help but be reminded of Yeon-ah’s effortless charm. Her voice, even when gently addressing the two attentive single-tailed foxes—not fox girls; foxes—at the front, carried a weight that made Wendy’s ears twitch.

  “Transformation magic,” Katie continued, her eyes soft with encouragement, “isn’t just about changing what you are on the outside, girls. I understand it is hard to be patient with yourselves when the other girls bully you about being unable to take a human form at your age, but sometimes, the greatest transformations happen within that pressure.”

  The two foxes shifted uncomfortably, their ears drooping. One of them murmured, “But Mistress Mil, we’ve been trying for months, and we still can’t hold our human form for more than a few minutes… Even the fae boys are talking about us.”

  Katie’s smile was warm but firm. “Patience, little ones. Every fox grows at their own pace. I didn’t take human form for seven decades when I was a kit, and here I am teaching the art. I’d say I could best half of the fae professors in transformation magic, despite their ages of magical mastery. What matters is persistence, not perfection. You are not failures. You’re simply in the process of blooming into your own unique self image. And it will be beautiful.”

  Wendy felt an unexpected tug at her chest at the sincerity in Katie’s voice. It threw her off; she’d expected something different—colder, perhaps. But this…felt real.

  Nilly peeked out from behind Wendy, her tail wrapping around her leg. “She actually means it,” the Cat Mother whispered. “She’s not faking as far as I can tell.”

  “Yeah,” Wendy mumbled, shuffling awkwardly as the foxes bowed and exited the hall, their shoulders a little less burdened while talking to one another.

  “Maybe my nose needs a bit of work. Want to look at old Nogitsune images in the library and find a better fit for our personal image?”

  “Nose?” she giggled in return. “You can’t even keep your ears, Toshiko, so I think we should study human ears first.”

  “They’re so hard!”

  “I know. They have so many bumps and ridges. Why can’t they just be straight and simple with fur? I can’t imagine myself without fur. I just feel…naked!”

  “Right?!”

  Katie’s gaze turned to Wendy as they passed the girls, her expression polite yet expectant. “You must be Wendy. Yeon-ah mentioned you might stop by.”

  I bet she did, Wendy internally huffed.

  She needed to be polite, though. This was a professor, after all. She smiled.

  “Yeah… She, uh, told me your transformation css was worth checking out. Not sure why, though.” She scratched the back of her neck, her bushy tail flicking behind her. “I can’t even really sense different types of magic that well or use magic at all. I’m…not exactly a tanuki or vulpes.”

  Katie chuckled, her amber eyes twinkling. “Magic is not always something you sense, Wendy. Sometimes, it’s something you feel and…expect to respond.” She studied her for a moment before continuing. “Transformation magic isn’t simply about changing one’s physical form. As you must have heard me lecturing those young kits. True transformation requires internal change before the external can manifest, but I believe you already understand that.”

  Wendy blinked, caught off guard by the profoundness of the statement. “Huh… That’s, uh, deep. How do you know I know that, by the way? Been spying on me?”

  The professor’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “I can tell by your posture, tone, and the way your tail moves that you are on your guard with me. You do not truly trust me. You’ve also been through emotional distress by the color of your cheeks and the stiffness in your fur. That’s why I’m here as a professor, dear. To help those willing to grow.”

  Nilly, still pressed to Wendy’s side, peered up at Katie suspiciously. “You smell like Yeon-ah, a little. You sisters or something?”

  A faint ugh escaped Katie’s lips, her tails flicking in amusement. “Sharp nose. Yes, Yeon-ah is my younger sister. She’s…a handful, as you’ve likely noticed. Not many would have caught onto that or its, mmm, meaning.”

  Wendy gave her a deadpan stare. Yeah, no duh. Your little sis is posing as a single-tailed teen girl, not the nine-tailed fully matured woman she really is. Nice ask, though, Nilly!

  “Figures,” she muttered. “I’m not exactly sure what to expect by coming here.”

  Katie gnced at the ornate clock on the far wall, crafted in an old Korean style she recognized from the dramas she’d occasionally branched into. Sora may love J-drama, but K-drama was a different breed.

  “I would love to entertain you on my day off. I came in to support those two girls who begged me to give them a private lesson.” The professor’s smile thinned slightly. “Unfortunately, I have a pre-arranged appointment with Professor Kurosaki. I’d be happy to answer any of your questions on the way out and maybe set up a time we can chat another time.”

  Thrown for a bit of a loop, Wendy gnced at Nilly who looked totally lost as to what to do. “Oh… That’s a bit unexpected. Umm. No offense but I thought your sister is kind of a…vilin? And you’d just invite us to some trap and, I don’t know…I’ve watched too many dramas,” she mumbled.

  Katie suppressed a giggle, tails coming together while holding a closed fist to her lips. “I would agree with you on the vilin characterization. Yeon-ah is a tad…hmm, what word should I use?” she mused, taking the lead as she gracefully led them toward the exit. “Perhaps eccentric would be suitable, or dreamer. She chose to leave Avalon. Mmm, yes, Nilly?”

  Taking the cue, Wendy and Nilly silently followed, the cat raising her hand.

  “How do you know my name? And why do you have a name like Katie if you’re Korean? I’m a bit confused.”

  The woman cupped her chin, her long tails weaving behind them. “Naturally, Yeon-ah told me all about your little group. As for my name, I’ve gone by many over the millenia, but this is the one I had when coming to Avalon after…falling out with the Foundation.”

  “Makes sense,” Wendy muttered, catching a nervous twitch in Nilly’s ears as she stared at the woman’s lips.

  Then, abruptly, the cat mumbled, “Why do I smell human flesh on your breath?”

  Wendy’s tail spiked, a jolt running down her spine, but Katie didn’t skip a beat, looking ahead with a more somber smile.

  “That is quite the loaded question coming from a Nekomata. Hmm. Am I to assume neither of you require some…condition to survive? It is uncommon but not rare that monsters come into Avalon with a more…pro-human attitude. Humans eat animals. Kumiho eat humans. That being said, our sustenance here is provided by the Royal Court of Avalon. I know not where it comes from. Humans do come here to study, and I have taught them. It is that simple.”

  “That’s…blunt,” Wendy mumbled, considering her position. “Wow…”

  But…I thought Kumiho didn’t eat flesh? Her sister said they don’t have to anymore…

  Somewhat blindsided by the topic, it wasn’t long before they were outside. The moment they stepped onto the steps, Wendy’s eyes locked onto the figure waiting beyond the hall’s entrance.

  Professor Kurosaki stood with the imposing elegance of someone who knew their worth. Cd in a sharp, dark kimono with golden embroidery, he looked every bit the dignified schor. Beside him, Fen loomed with her usual agitated energy, arms crossed and eyes locked onto Katie with thinly veiled irritation.

  “This is the woman you are supposed to spend the day with?” Fen’s voice dripped with annoyance, her tail twitching aggressively. “You’ve got to be kidding me. The Kumiho with the traitor sister?”

  Katie’s lips twitched, a pyful glint in her eyes as she surveyed the annoyed Huli Jing. “Charming as always, Fen. I do hope you’ll manage to keep up this time.”

  Fen’s scowl deepened, her ears fttening as a low growl rumbled in her throat. Wendy stiffened at the tension crackling between them, but Katie merely smiled and inclined her head to Kurosaki.

  “Shall we, Professor?”

  The two professors exchanged a gnce heavy with unspoken words—somewhere between amusement and challenge, tinged with something Wendy couldn’t quite pce. It bordered on flirtation, but Wendy wasn’t sure she wanted to think about that too much.

  As they departed, Wendy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Well…she was a lot nicer…and more feral than I thought she’d be.”

  Fen, arms still crossed, scoffed. “Hmph. Don’t be fooled. She’s looking down on us the entire time. Professor Katie Mil isn’t the type to show her true face so easily. I’ve heard she’s been asking around about Sora a lot…maybe too much. You should watch your back. Friendly advice from your Assistant Instructor.”

  Wendy frowned, her fingers brushing against the brooch at her chest. “Huh… I guess you found someone you hate more than Sora. Impressive.”

  Fen shot a look down the street where the professors had disappeared. “There’s something going on between them and Sora has a hell of a lot more influence than I do… Figure it out!” With that, she turned and stalked off in the same direction the professors had gone, leaving Wendy and Nilly standing in the bustling street.

  Wendy watched her leave, then gnced at Nilly. “You think she’s gonna stalk them?”

  Nilly forced a grin. “Without a doubt. She’s down bad. And here I thought Jian and her were an item.”

  “Yeah… Who knows at this point. Want to go back to the dorm and make a string chart of all the conspiracy theories?”

  The cat perked up. “Sure! That sounds fun. Maybe stop off and get something to eat on the way back?”

  “You read my mind.” Her frown deepened as she looked around at the now dead street, putting her hands on her hips. “I didn’t think Yeon-ah was a criminal in both world’s, though… Interesting.”

  “And Kumiho shouldn’t require human meat anymore!” Nilly jumped in.

  “You caught that too, huh? Yeah, something fishy is going on. Hmm. Let’s go get some breakfast and theorize!”

  “Yeah!” Nilly cheered, throwing her fist in the air and dancing forward, bell tinkling around her ankle. “I’ll be Watsona!”

  “I’m the one with a W at the start of their name,” she giggled, “but I guess that makes me Sherlockel. Onward, Watsona. Let’s get to the bottom of this rabbit hole.”

  AuthorSME