The Naked Fox-girl

“Hello?”

The fox-girl repeated herself, turning her head as though searching, but her eyes didn’t land on anything. Braith’s mouth opened and closed - shock plastered across his face - but he somehow managed to force a word out while the rest of the room stayed frozen.

“H-hello…”

She looked toward his voice, but her eyes didn’t focus. They moved, but saw nothing.

“Where are you? Where am I?”

Her voice was beautiful - smooth, gentle, trembling with confusion.

That snapped Braith back to reality. This was his Mahotona. Rare, but not impossible. He wasn’t sure yet whether to feel lucky or terrified, but one thing was certain: there was a very exposed girl standing in front of him.

His grey sweater came off in a heartbeat.

“Raise your arms,” he said.

She obeyed immediately - whether because he had authority over her, or simply out of desperation, he didn’t know. He slipped the sweater over her slender frame. She was shorter than him, so it covered everything essential, though it still ended high on her thighs. She brushed her hands over the fabric, then smiled in his general direction.

“Thank you.”

Those two words broke the rest of the room out of their trance.

Miyata stammered, “W-well… that’s a first for me…”

The other immigrants whispered urgently among themselves. The same word drifted to Braith over and over.

Humanoid. Humanoid. Humanoid.

Rare. Powerful. Coveted - for both the right reasons and very, very wrong ones.

Nagata took a long breath, and Braith already knew it wouldn’t be good.

“Braith,” the soldier said flatly, “you’re now considered one of the most wanted people in the world. Do you understand?”

He nodded. He wasn’t sure what emotion to feel - fear? pride? nausea?

Nagata continued, “As such, I cannot permit you to remain in our general program. You’ll be issued secure lodgings and a military address. Report there immediately, they’ll know how to handle your case.”

He motioned toward the uniformed woman behind the desk.

“Go speak with Saeki. She’ll give you instructions. We need to keep moving.”

Braith hesitated - and received a firm shove from Nagata.

“Go. And take your fox-girl with you. Also…” Nagata squinted at her unfocused eyes. “You may want to hold onto her. She appears to be blind.”

Braith looked at her again. Her grey eyes drifted, searching for a world she couldn’t see. Her mouth trembled.

“Am I blind? Is that why everything’s black?”

Nagata raised an eyebrow at Braith, a silent handle it.

Braith’s heart twisted. The rarest Mahotona type… with an incurable blindness quirk?

But there was no time to dwell. He reached out carefully and slipped his arm through hers. She shivered at the contact.

“Hello?” she whispered again, frightened.

He smiled instinctively - then remembered she couldn’t see it.

“It’s me,” he said softly. “Your…”

His tongue tripped as he scrambled for the right word.

“Your Mahoro.”

She turned toward his voice, her eyes desperately trying to anchor to something.

“My… Mahoro?”

He nodded, once again forgetting she wouldn’t notice, and gently guided her aside to clear space for the next ritual.

“Yeah. Do you know what that means?”

She nodded slowly, then inched closer, gripping his arm with both hands now.

“I can’t see anything,” she whispered, voice cracking.

Braith’s throat tightened. How do you tell someone they were literally born moments ago - and born blind? He shifted, looping his arm securely through hers.

“I know,” he said. “But don’t worry. I’ll stay with you.”

She leaned slightly closer, still afraid but soothed by the nearness of another voice.

Saeki - the woman behind the desk - was already moving at full speed. Her pen flew across a form, and the instant she finished she spun it around to face Braith and the fox-girl, tapping the signature line.

“Sign this.”

Braith frowned, scanning it. “What is it?”

“A standard declaration,” she said briskly. “You accept full responsibility for all actions taken by your Mahotona, and acknowledge that you are now classified as a national security asset.”

He blinked. “National security?”

She nodded without ceremony.
“Yup. You’ll be allowed into places most people can’t go, but you’ll also be monitored pretty much constantly.”

He nodded slowly. It wasn’t like he had a choice. He signed. Saeki checked it, then handed him a small slip of paper.

“Go to this address. Once they see your Mahotona, they’ll let you in.”

He gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

She shrugged lightly. “I’m sorry. This isn’t going to be an easy life for you.”
Then her expression softened.
“But I’m still wishing you the best.”

He nodded again, then guided the fox-girl with a careful arm as they stepped out of the room.

They walked together - arm in arm - through the airport. People stared openly, some whispering, some pulling out phones before security barked at them to put them away. Braith tried to ignore it all.

A soft breath tickled his ear.

“What’s your name?”

He glanced at the fox-girl. She looked up at him - or tried to. Her gaze drifted just past his shoulder. He smiled, whispering back.

“Braith. What’s yours?”

She paused only a second.
“I don’t have one. I think… I think you’re supposed to name me.”

He froze, mind racing. She couldn’t see his expression, but after a moment she tilted her head.

“Did you hear me?”

He snapped back. “Yes. I’m thinking.”

She nodded and waited, content to hold his arm as the airport flowed around them.

A name surfaced.

“Yumie.”

Her ears twitched adorably. “Pardon?”

He smiled down at her, voice soft.
“Yumie. Your name can be Yumie. If you like it.”

She mouthed it.
“Yumie… Yumie…”

Her lips curled into a bright smile.
“Yumie Yumie Yumie Yumie Yumie. I like it. Thank you.”

She tightened her hold around his arm.

“What’s your last name?”

He blanked for a moment. “...Conway.”

She nodded decisively.
“Then my name is Yumie Conway.”

She leaned her head toward his shoulder - almost missing - and Braith’s heart slammed against his ribs. Conway? Did she mean like… family? Or-

“Do you mean… like siblings, or…?” he asked, voice cracking.

She giggled softly.
“Of course not siblings. That would be weird. Besides…”

She nuzzled against him, warm and soft under his sweater.

“We’re going to be together until the day you die. Because I won’t die until you do…”

His heart stopped, restarted, then started sprinting. He hadn’t even thought that far ahead. He’d expected to maybe find a pretty Japanese girl someday - but now?

He shook his head rapidly, trying to clear it. Marry what was essentially another piece of himself? But she was very cute…

His constant head wobbling jostled her. She freed one hand and lightly smacked the side of his head.

“Stop that. It’s uncomfortable.”

“O-okay…” he squeaked.

She smiled, then nestled back against him. His pulse hammered. Her tail brushed his legs as it swayed unpredictably, and her fluffy ears grazed his cheek. And under that sweater…

He swallowed hard. Clothes. He needed to buy her clothes immediately. Otherwise he wasn’t sure he’d survive the day.

But he couldn’t help smiling. In the chaos, the fear, the unexpected twists… there was a warm spark in all of it. A hint of something bright. Something hopeful.

He was just starting to picture a promising future when someone screamed.

A gunshot cracked through the terminal.

Braith froze. Yumie jolted, tightening her grip on his arm.
“What’s happening?” she whispered, terrified.

At the far end of the airport, a group of masked figures in black burst through an emergency exit, weapons raised.

Braith’s stomach dropped.

Maybe things weren’t going to be so easy after all.