Morning walks and sudden shadows (part 1)

Good morning.

...

I'm in that wonderful state where you disconnect for a moment from everything around you, maybe in my case because of laziness, and just admire what you have in front of you.

Like right now, all my attention is on my stockings; I'm looking closely at all the fabric patterns, wondering if I could knit something like that from scratch, what kind of needle to use, what thread, or what technique.

But I had to come out of the trance at some point. With all the willpower I have, I somehow manage the monumental task of not lying back down.

As I stroke my legs, I think about how this thing I was so focused on a moment ago now seems so insignificant; but mostly I think about... Why in the world did I sleep in stockings? I guess I forgot to take them off, but that sounds like a lot of circulation problems, and, eh, whatever.

I've been sitting on my bed for quite a while now, trying in vain to find motivation for the umpteenth time. As usual, nothing works, so I just say to myself, 'Then, stay unmotivated, but don't stop moving.'

I finally get up; being depressed for so long is tiring.

I want to get better; I'm trying to get better. My life basically came to a standstill when my... childhood friend died when I was a teenager. Even though my pesky teenage hormones made it difficult back then, now at twenty-two, I just want to live again. Live, and have fun, and breathe.

Be happy.

Old habits die hard, though, which has left me rather lonely. Mm, at least I'm not completely alone. And I've learned not to completely waste my time.

'But enough complaining! Getting things started is the hardest part; you have to be optimistic.'

It's early in the morning, when it's between dark and almost dawn, the best and worst time of the day. The best when I have nothing to do and can go back to sleep without a care in the world, or in rare cases like now, when I'm not sleepy and go for a walk in the almost empty streets. And the worst, when I have to get up to go to the academy or when I have work to do, and I want to go back to sleep so badly that I could die.

After washing up, I look out the window.

Mmm, it's summer, so even though it's cold now, it's going to be quite warm later, so I'm wearing something light. Over my underwear, some black pantyhose and gray shorts. A white tank top and a black sweatshirt with a zipper that I'll open later if it's too warm.

I stop in front of the mirror in my room to double-check my outfit.

The black sweatshirt is a bit snug when zipped up, but it pairs perfectly with the gray shorts, which do a great job highlighting the heart-shaped butt I've worked so hard to maintain.

I don't care if I sound vain; my inner narcissist definitely approves.

I brush my long brown hair out of the way so it doesn't get caught in the collar, letting it fall freely past my hips. Staring back at me is a pretty face with emerald green eyes. A direct inheritance from my mom.

Having her exact face means I'm allowed to say nice things about it, right?

I give my hips a little shake to make sure my tail falls comfortably over the edge of the shorts. The snow-white tip sways gently, matching the proud twitch of my fox ears with their slightly black tips. Cute, adorable, fluffy, and majestic. Yes, at least I managed to focus my depression on taking care of my well-developed body.

Finally, I put on some running shoes and I leave my room.

"Uwaaaah... Good morning, Seina," I hear as I walk down the stairs on my way to the door.

I turn my head and see my cousin Nicole, a fox-kin woman, half a head taller than my 5'6" frame, with shoulder-length messy black hair, ruby red eyes, with an erotic yet fit body despite spending most of the day in a chair or in a conference room at the castle.

Perhaps her most distinguishing feature, at least for me, is her fluffy black tail with a white tip... All of her hair is completely black, so that white patch of fluff stands out even more; I remember dipping into it when I was younger.

"Good morning, I'm on my way out; want me to get you something?"

This seems to wake her up.

"Skewers!!!" she says with a happy wag of her tail, hehe.

"If it's open," I reply as I leave the house.

Living with Nicole has been my medicine.

Although she's quite lazy, she certainly takes seriously, as she says, bringing me out of my shell. But! Sneaking into the shower with me still brings me closer to having a heart attack, for... uh, two very, very big reasons...

I'm currently living with her in her house in the capital city.

It's nice and cozy, with two floors, three bedrooms, a large living room, and separate rooms for bathrooms, a kitchen, and laundry. As well as a beautiful garden full of grass and flowers.

Even if Nicole always complains about having to water and take care of the garden and the plants in the house, she also says that no matter how fancy and amazing it is, a house without plants is a pigsty. And I agree.

It's a bit far from the academy, though close enough to walk. And it's a friendly neighborhood, quiet and pretty big, though it's not a rich or noble area.

I take a long breath of the fresh morning air, catching the faint, crisp scent of damp earth and distant firewood, until I am interrupted by a sound from hell. I turn my head to the neighbor's garden, and there he is.

Galito, a killer chicken who, whenever he sees me, breaks through the wooden fence, which is clearly not made to stop something his size, and comes running, wings flapping, ready to kill me.

However, I have recently learned a way to survive.

I squat first.

"Peep peep peep peep!" If I act like a chick and put out my hands, he slows down and comes closer, even lets me pet him! Is he just shy?

It works, even though it makes me look like a complete idiot, especially standing in the middle of the street.

He calms down, comes quietly closer, and snuggles between my hands. The little feathers are surprisingly soft; plus the red fur crest and beard, whatever it's called, it's pretty big, and it's funny to pull it down gently so he opens his beak and looks like he's talking... Hehe. While I'm having fun with him, being careful not to let my tail touch the ground, I hear a train whistle.

"Huh... I thought I got up early, but there are already people working, eh..." I say out loud without realizing it, thinking about all the people who have to be on said train and since when are they awake.

"I think they work at night, so it doesn't count as getting up early," my neighbor suddenly says.

... Since when is she there!? She's talking to me! What do I do!? Wait, wait, calm down, Seina. She's just your neighbor, you know her, uh, kind of.

She's an elf; she lives alone with her little son, and she gets along well with my cousin Nicole. I know her, so there's no need to get nervous, right?

'Hey, it's been a few seconds, answer quickly.'

"Uh... G-good morning." Damn, I stuttered. I thought I had already acquired the skill of not doing that. Besides, I ignored her comment! Ugh... But it's the first conversation I've had today with someone other than Nicole, so I can't help it. Yeah, sure.

"Haha, good morning, you guys are already getting along well from what I see," she says as she takes Galito in her arms... I thought so, but can I say that when I have completely forgotten about the chicken?

"I've already figured out how to get him not to peck me. So, I guess. Um, well, bye!"

"Have a good time."

I leave before the conversation goes any further.

Phew... that, that wasn't so bad, was it? No, I even stopped stuttering by the end. I review the conversation in my mind as I walk, scanning the street at the same time.

... Doing that helps me calm down. I liked the atmosphere of the neighborhood from the first day I saw it.

Lots of trees, friendly houses with green gardens, and a cobbled street, yet clean and without potholes, where hardly any carriages pass. I understand why Nicole chose a house here and not in some rich neighborhood, even though she has such an excellent position in the castle.

Speaking of carriages, I heard a rumor that they are inventing one that can move without being pulled by an animal, something about a bunch of books left behind by someone from another world that they finally managed to decipher or something... Well, who cares.

I'm walking aimlessly.

I like to do it from time to time, especially in the morning. Seeing the streets mostly empty, closed stalls, little noise, and most of all, few people. It is nice and makes me feel healthy; even though I do some exercise every day, walking like this gives me the impression that I'm using my body and not just preventing it from deteriorating by exercising at home. Maybe it's silly, but-

"Oh! Pspsps~." I found an orange cat on the stone fence of a house! I don't have any food, but I hope he'll let me pet him...

He notices me and... he comes closer! But before I can touch him, he turns around, shows me his balls and calmly goes back to his place.

Hey... that was on purpose, wasn't it? I'm sure he didn't have his tail up as he walked towards me. It had to be an orange cat...

Oh well.

After a while, I arrive at a small park.

I'm not actually tired, but I might as well sit for a while. Meanwhile, I think about my current situation...

I moved to the capital to attend the academy when I was 18. I wasn't particularly interested in joining, but I was tired of being stagnant and wanted more time to think or maybe run away, so here I am. Still, my main motivation was just to keep moving, so I don't love it.

... I can't wait to graduate.

Even though there's almost no racial discrimination in this country, it's still annoying how much attention I get for being the only one in class with a fluffy tail. Damn, it boils my blood just thinking about it. I'm tired of dodging some idiot who tries to touch my tail, or meeting stupid people who think they can stroke my ears as long as they ask first.

Well, I haven't met anyone that mean, or rather, I've managed to avoid them pretty well. But I wish my classmates were more empathetic.

... That's not quite right. There are some really nice people who always try to include me in conversations, so it's not like there aren't any empathetic people. So, what I want is for them to leave me alone? I guess so, but... that sounds a little bad from my end.

At least it's not necessary to graduate.

Should I leave the course early? Mmm, no. I have a feeling Nicole would never allow it. You pay tuition at the beginning of the semester. Few people care if you stop attending, except maybe the odd teacher who takes their job seriously. Surprisingly, uh, there are quite a lot of them now that I think about it.

It's one of the best academies on the continent for a reason.

'Hey, remember, try to see the glass half full,' I tell myself.

At least I really like the uniform, it's comfortable and simple; a pretty dark red sweater over a white shirt and tie, the skirt is a little short but I like that; it lets me show my legs in stockings, although I have to watch out for the wind or I'll be showing my panties to everyone.

Mmm, there are certainly a lot of interesting classes... except for the ones on politics, etiquette, and the like. For some reason, they teach those to common students too, not just nobles.

There are also nice classmates, although I feel bad at this point that I still refuse their invitations to go out together... But I can't help it; I really don't want to follow them to some noisy pub.

Well, I probably won't see them again after I graduate.

'Wait, that was supposed to be an optimistic thought. Why are there mixed complaints too...?'

Anyway, speaking of graduating, I have to do it to achieve my goal, which is very simple.

'I want to have a delightful house in a perfect place!'

Just like now, but not just nice, but perfect. And I want it to be my very own house, one I'm fully responsible for, so I can decorate it however I want. As for the details, I will worry about that in the future.

Until then, I need money to travel. I don't like the capital; my neighborhood is friendly, but even there is too much noise all the time, especially for my sensitive ears. At least I have learned to ignore it, but I don't want to live all my life in one place with that annoyance in the back of my mind.

So, I want to travel the land to see what it has to offer! But the world is not the safest. Monsters, bandits, strange biomes; there are many ways to die easily, away from the safety of the walls. So, I need money for guards... And for that, I need a job. And for that, I need skills. And for that, I need to study... How annoying.

'If only I had amazing magic, I could travel without worrying... Oh well, maybe it's time to go back—'

I'm interrupted by another train whistle, this time much closer.

Yes, time to go back. Let's trot back home this time.