Two years seemed to fly by. The passage of time is difficult to keep track of for me, when I've done very little that has any routine—but I can count the winters since "my birth".
Remembering back, I was picked from the forest just before winter, late in autumn. I only know this, because after a few weeks, the snow fell. Since then, there was another winter, and I'm certain that the next one isn't too far off. I can sort of feel it.
So two years seems right.
The people in this village should have a way to track days here, but I doubt it's something convenient like a disposable paper calendar exists, in the same way as it did in my old world. How did people keep track of time in the past?
Putting that aside, I've learned quite a lot in this time.
Language for example—but I haven't learned how to read and write very well—this was a small village, with a poor literacy rate. Reading material is quite scarce, so I've focused almost completely on learning the spoken language. As someone who grew up in the modern world, it feels quite weird being illiterate.
I recently asked my adoptive mother to teach me letters—I despaired when I learned that the writing system uses a combination of a logography and a syllabary. Memorizing thousands of symbols for just standard conversation—how tiresome.
Speaking of my adoptive parents...
They gave me the name "Toyaru", though generally just call me Toya. I sometimes even forget the "ru" part, considering they never use it.
Actually, though I say "they", the only one who interacts with me is the mother. The father seems to be cautious of me, and doesn't approach me at all. I don't mind, all things considered.
I don't exactly know their names—I don't think so anyways. They seem to use affectionate nicknames, that alternate. Think of it like using "honey", or "baby", but they don't seem to use one or the other for long, so I can't tell which is their name, and what means what. Just because I've learned a fair amount of the language doesn't mean I understand it all. Damn lovebirds.
That aside, there's also the daughter.
Yes, the other baby was a girl named Yenna—figures. Because of her, I've come to suffer misfortune, you know? I mean, I don't hate her or anything, and it's not really her fault.
But we share clothes.
It's... It's really embarrassing, and borders on humiliating, you know? Being forced to dress as a girl, it's really distressing you know? The worst part is that after two years, part of me doesn't even hate it anymore.
I can't really struggle against it. Even if I would rather go naked, I can't resist having clothes forced on me, as I'm only a child.
Well...
Saying that I'm "only a child" might be a bit laughable.
I'm a Kitsune after all.
I thought maybe there would be a diverse set of nekomimi-like races—races of people baring animal ears and tails—but it seems that there aren't that many.
My kind is among them, and are believed to be something like Fox spirits. Because of that, I've come to associate my species with the "Kitsune" I knew about in my old world.
Views on them probably vary, but it seems this village see Kitsune in a pretty high regard, as apparently there's folktales of a Kitsune acting as a Land God, that protects the region from dangers. I've considered the possibility that this "Land God" could be my mother, but the tales seem to be hundreds of years old, so I can't be certain.
The point about Kitsune being powerful fox-spirits at least coincides with what I know about them from my old world.
"Mother" has been retelling some of the tales regarding the Kitsune that's said the guard the area, and what I've also learned is that Kitsune have multiple tails, just like in my memories. The only thing she knows is that Kitsune with more tails are usually stronger. I guess younger Kitsune start off with a single tail, and grow new ones as they age?
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Standard stuff I think.
Except there's one issue.
The reason the husband doesn't seem to want to be around me is because I'm male.
Kitsune are known to be only women.
This is probably also the reason I'm being made to wear girl's clothes.
I'm seen as a bad omen by the husband, but my adoptive mother wants to hide that entirely. Thinks it's fate or something.
I want to retort their way of thinking, but really, this is more convenient for me.
But a male Kitsune is looked at as an omen, huh? My case seems to be unprecedented, so its not like they have anything to go on, but that's the conclusion drawn. Uneducated humans are so superstitious.
So for the sake of avoiding a panic, the mother dresses me up in the same clothes as her daughter.
I understand the reasoning, but what about when I grow older, and become more masculine?
For now, I accept the humiliation of cross-dressing.
But just so you know, I'm not going to like it.
Probably.
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"Don't wanna!"
"Pretty please?"—you damn little brat!
"Nope!"
"Ow ow ow, It hurts! I'ma tell momma!—Ooph!"
That little brat Yenna was pulling on my tail. A year ago, I didn't really mind it, as long as she only used it as a pillow. But she's become really rough and possessive of my tail—I find it annoying, when all I wanna do is laze around.
Just as I threatened to tell on her, she let go of me, and I fell on my ass.
Still, I made sure to tuck my tail away from her, and looked up at her with my "claws" extended at her, and my face beat-red as I tried to muster a growl. Perhaps I'm being a bit childish, but I blame this new body of mine. I didn't notice it at first, but I do feel like a child with memories of someone else. It's a hard to describe feeling, but the best way I could explain it, is if I mention how it seems even my "traumatic memories" have no significance. Food all tastes slightly differently, and I can't remember ever feeling nostalgia since coming to this world.
The end result is that my head feels like its been twisted around a bit—I don't even mind that I haven't used a computer in two years.
I have a hypothesis regarding this, but I don't know enough to confirm anything.
Anyways, despite my attempt to intimidate her, she merely poked her tongue out at me, completely unaffected. Well of course. My nails are pretty dull and short with them being regularly clipped by my adoptive mother, and I don't have very sharp fangs to speak of.
She took a couple steps forward, so I decided I needed to make a tactical retre—"ooph!"
—She tackled me down.
"Mine~!" Yenna declared, holding onto my tail, as she sat on my pack.
—Damn she's heavy.
I guess this is what I get for lazing about, instead of running around like most children.
Maybe I'll work out later.
Ow! Be more gentle with my tail please?
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Author Notes:
And... That's the last chapter I have written for this story.
Again, any ideas about the story would be great. I'm not really too serious about this story, but it feels like it'd be kinda fun.
The two things I mentioned, about not being sure what to do about the story, would be what sort of races should exist instead of just humans (Not too keen on just going straight DnD styled High-Fantasy with Elves, Dwarves and so on).
And what type of magic system might be good to play with.
All things considered, I don't really consider myself very creative.
Anyways, will post a chapter of "So I'm an NPC now?" later in the week.