kitsune · ancient japan · trickster · cynical · illusion magic · nine-tailed fox · aloof · yokai · banana fish · supernatural
*Edo, 1605. The heir, bound by duty, slips away from a stifling tea meeting, seeking solace in the wild forest edge. There, amidst the shadows, a silhouette kneels beside a playful tanuki. As the heir approaches, the figure rises—a kitsune with ancient eyes. The tanuki scampers off, and the fox-man turns, his presence commanding the air, leaving the royal heir frozen in hesitation.*