Thread: In a World of Her Own (Fancy_Sakura)

All over the nation of Japan, powerful demons and spirits alike had recently been coming over from their worlds into the human world. In not much time at all, creatures from ancient folklore had been making their presence known. Most demons were assumed to be a threat and a nuisance, and a rise in warriors and monks had risen up in hopes of keeping their numbers from increasing any further. And while the numbers of both sides had been decreased, there was no way to completely eliminate the other side. Thus, demons and humans roamed the earth together, yet more often than none, there were still tensions between them. It wasn't uncommon for monks or miko to pop up every now and then in case people were having trouble with demon problems. In some rare occasions the demons were somewhat harmless, and simply shooed off or even allowed to remain in the village as a resident. And while there were weak demons, there were also stronger demons that came to be praised as deities in numerous villages. Most did not abuse their power, as they had enough from the people's cooperation. Very few demons abused their power on the people, and in retaliation the people would fight to drive them out. It just went to show that there were a variety of demons just like there were a variety of humans. And while mainly frowned upon especially amongst the holy people, some instances of relationships between humans and demons had developed. This was a controversial issue, as most monks and holy men believed demons took on the appearance as attractive men or women mainly the latter to entice their partners. From there, it was believed they would feed off the energy of their partners, though no such events had been reported as of now. In many cases, a demon's disguise was so strong, no ordinary human could detect them unless a monk or miko happened to pass through. Many would boast that they did not have bad intentions from their actions. After all, it was only natural that they fit in and feed off what little life their partners had, or so they said. Many demons believed that for them to partner with an unlucky partner or someone close to death was doing that person justice, shortening their life before the inevitable. Of course, this was not very well-received by most humans. And so, there were always holy men, monks, and miko roaming about to in a way monitor the demons' activities. Any fowl and malicious demons were dealt with and any that weren't much of a problem were left alone. However, rumors had been spreading about one miko in particular with a very odd way of carrying out her duties. Rumor had it that her main 'duty' was seeking out beautiful demons and making them hers, which was seen as a major taboo. For one meant to deal with demons to have demons under her was unforgivable. However, it was difficult trying to subdue her for whatever reason. Most suspect she had gone into hiding for a while, so nobody really knew where she would be at this point... A few miles or so from the post town of Tsumago, there was a large mountain range that travelers had to pass through to make it to the neighboring town. However, this mountain was also known to be home to many natural hot springs and it was a source of fresh water as well. The stream would flow from high on the mountain into the river passing by the small town. There was one hot spring in particular that was well sought after, one that held a marvelous view miles around. The problem in reaching this one was that it was higher up in the mountains where the oxygen was thinner. And to make matters worse, all of those who had managed to trek that far up had never come across that hot spring. Many question if such a place even existed, though many of the older villagers insisted, and so young folks continued to seek it out. The younger ones sure got a kick out of the challenge, seeing it as a chance for bragging rights among the others. Today had brought about no challengers, and perhaps that was for the best. Without the right preparations, a trip up the mountain was not very wise. There was a great deal of mental and physical strength required, but maybe the trip wouldn't be so hard for demons. Not surprisingly, there was one demon in particular that was actually responsible for the lack of visitors as of late. And coincidentally, they had made themselves quite comfortable in the higher part of the mountain, making sure nobody came by to disturb them. This particular demon was a kitsune demon named Kuzunoha. It is said that one can determine a kitsune's powers by the number of tails they have with nine usually being the most. Kuzunoha currently had five tails, a respectable amount. She was a powerful youkai no doubt, though she still had room to improve. However, when it came to messing with the humans here, she didn't need much. Kitsune were masters of deception, whether it be their humanoid form they took, or any other illusions. And speaking of illusions, that was exactly what she was using to ensure she was not disturbed. In truth, most of the travelers that had wandered up the mountain had actually reached this area, but it did not seem like it to them. With a special barrier she had placed around the area, the humans found themselves walking off down the same path they came from, finding themselves wandering about in circles before they grew tired and returned back to the village. After a while, she had gotten used to the mindless chattering she heard from those puzzled humans. They certainly were interesting creatures. Kuzunoha could not understand why she would even require the life source of the humans. None of them seemed to be very intelligent. They'd quickly chase at glory like it was dangled on a string right in front of them. It didn't really matter to her anymore. For the moment, she wouldn't worry about such trivial matters and relax as she always had been. She had taken it upon herself to permanently reserve the hot springs in the higher parts of the mountains, letting the humans have the rest of them. Surely that would be fair, right? Slowly slipping out of her bulky garments and setting them aside, the lovely kitsune was left proud and naked, not worried about any visitors. Even if someone had somehow managed to stumble into her, she would not be too worried. It wasn't everyday that she got to play around with any human fortunate enough to find her. There were a few occasions that she was careless, allowing some of the villagers to catch a glimpse of her. It was somewhat of a pain trying to avoid them, especially if they found themselves smitten with her. Another trait of some humans she wasn't fond of stubborn. She slowly slipped into the hot springs, letting out a little sigh of relief. Mmm....that really hits the spot... While there was nobody to view it, her reflection in the water was truly unique. Rather than her beautiful face, she appeared as a fox in the reflection. The same held true for her shadow. Even if she were to hide her ears and tail to pass off as human, her shadow and reflection revealed her true nature. A long yawn left her lips as she sunk a bit lower into the water, her breasts slowly sinking below the surface. When it came to what humans liked to do, this may have been one of Kuzunoha's favorites. Demons got stressed out too, and they could use some time to relax. Maybe it was just her affinity with fire, but the water was much hotter than it usually would be, not quite boiling though. But no doubt any human that jumped in would be crying out in pain before scrambling out. But it was not just the water that was feeling a little hot. As of late, Kuzunoha had found herself feeling a little under the weather, which was not surprising considering it was about that time of the year. Mou...how troublesome... Around this time of the year, it was actually mating season for her. Choosing to be independent from other demons and humans had its ups and downs. The most notable downside was that she'd have to deal with it herself, and even if she somehow managed to satisfy herself, it was getting harder and harder to meet her own needs. things probably wouldn't be so difficult if she had settled with someone, but she refused to associate herself with those humans, and most if not all the demons she had come across were complete idiots, thinking with the wrong head. And they were all so weak too. There was no point in seeking out a mate who she couldn't depend on. She rubbed her legs together slightly, knowing her body was asking for some attention. For now it would have to wait. If she got right to it now, she might draw unwanted attention to the area. She had heard of some troublesome people wandering around, namely miko or monks. Was it really necessary to try and prove their dominance over demons? None were really better than the other. Of course, judging by the actions of humans she had come across, Kuzunoha would be a bit bias. Just as she was getting rather comfortable, she nearly jumped in surprise at the sound of a wolf howling somewhere in the distance. She felt stupid for getting so worked up, but she couldn't help it. She had never been good around dogs, and that fear wouldn't be easing up anytime soon. Just a little while longer...and that'll be another year... She never did enjoy going through heat year after year, but she managed somehow. But honestly she was getting tired of it. A good mate was hard to come by, and she didn't want to just jump at the next one that came her way out of desperation. She sunk a little lower that her eyes were still above the surface. She blew little bubbles out of boredom, watching the town below. Even at night, they seemed to be just as energetic as always. She noticed a statue had been erected because of her, which was rather amusing. The only thing that bugged her about it was that it looked nothing like her.