Michi was newly named and profoundly grumpy about it, and she barely left her room the next two days. But even a terrible mood couldn't break her workout routine, and each morning the rhythmic sound of her weight bench echoed throughout the shrine.

"So, you named her?" Usagi asked Akari over breakfast. Hebi and Inara were there too, but the night-owl Seshi was still asleep.

Akari slumped to the table. "Yeah… and I think she hates me for it."

Hebi swallowed a huge bite of omelette rice, then shook her head. "No, she doesn't hate you. She's definitely pissed, but she still loves you."

Akari pushed some pieces of omelette around her plate. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because she's not out here yelling at you. In fact, she's probably staying away from you so that she doesn't accidentally say something she'd regret." Hebi flashed a small smile. "She'll cool down soon."

Usagi nodded. "Inu— I mean Michi, might even thank you. I know she's secretly wanted this for a long time."

Inara let out a small giggle, earning everyone's gaze.

"What's funny, Boss?" Hebi asked.

A smirk bloomed on Inara's lips. "I'll just say that your hearts are all in the right place, but your read on the situation is a bit off."

Akari leaned forward, her half-eaten breakfast forgotten. "How so?"

"I have it on good authority that Michi's not angry anymore. She's hiding because she's embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Akari asked. "By her new name? Or by how she reacted to it?"

Inara lowered her voice slightly, but it was still well above a whisper. "A bit of the second one, and a lot more of a new thing. Being named made her more powerful, and with that power came with some new instincts." As the goddess spoke, she tugged her royal purple kimono off one shoulder and revealed a wide expanse of bare skin.

The other women all went completely silent at what they saw. All over Inara's shoulder and neck and chest were thin red scratches, dark purple hickeys, and more than a few bite marks.

Usagi swallowed hard and very slowly said, "She hurt you?"

Inara smiled and waved a hand side to side. "Oh no, this didn't hurt at all. I quite liked it, actually. And I haven't healed the marks away because I want to remember the sensations a bit longer."

Akari felt her face burning up, and Usagi's expression was stuck halfway between a scowl and a pout.

Hebi just ate another bite of her second helping of breakfast, then said, "Friendly reminder that Michi can probably hear this conversation from her room."

Inara raised her voice to normal levels, then said, "Oh, I know. I'm hoping she hears it and realizes that we all still love her, and that her new instincts are wholeheartedly accepted."

"Speak for yourself," Usagi grumbled, her eyes still fixed on the marks on Inara's upper chest.

"Oh, that reminds me, Usagi," Akari started, her voice loud and chipper. "Nezumi and Shika wanted to spend some time with you. You and Shika hit it off at the party, right?"

Usagi narrowed her eyes at Akari. "That's not wrong, but how exactly did the Michi thing remind you of that?"

Akari ignored the question and said, "They're doing really well repaying their debt, and they're getting better at interacting with humans, but their home situation is… really bad. Can you visit their place this weekend? For their sakes."

"Hmph, fine. I'll drop by, if I can travel in human form." Usagi glanced hopefully at Inara with her bunny ears perked up. In the past, the only way for Usagi to appear human outside the shrine grounds was with Inara at her side.

The fox goddess smiled. "Oh, sure thing. After seeing the novel way Shika and Nezumi manage it, I've improved at supporting human forms, so I can give you a solid eight hours on your own. And you can borrow some of their charms for the return trip if things run longer than that."

Usagi's ears completely wilted. "Oh, alright. Thank you, Mistress."

Akari nudged Usagi with her elbow and said, "I bet Shika would love to see one of your seasonal outfits. She's really into fashion, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Usagi stood up and untied the apron around her waist. "There are lunch bentos in the fridge for everyone, so I guess I'll head down now. I'll be back before dinner."

Akari bowed deeply. "Thank you, Usagi!"

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Usagi took a deep breath, then stepped under the red torii gate that marked the edge of the shrine grounds. Miraculously, she didn't turn into a rabbit and her clothes didn't topple to the ground. Inara's new technique had worked, and Usagi could still feel the warmth on her cheek where the goddess had kissed her and imbued her with a bit of spiritual power.

She continued down the trail with a bounce in her step and a grey beret hiding her ears. She wore a loose white sweater off one shoulder and over her tail, with a checkered charcoal and green skirt below that. It was strange being outside the grounds by herself, and stranger still to be visible to humans, but their appreciative glances felt wonderful.

Look all you want, humans, but this body belongs to Inara-sama, Usagi thought at the people she passed on the street, many of whom were openly staring at her substantial chest. And thanks for confirming the quality of my ensemble. I was right to be proud of it.

Usagi's good mood nearly evaporated when she arrived at her destination, the so-called Fieldhouse. It was even worse than she'd feared, and she hadn't even been inside yet.

Beneath a two-lane bridge over a ravine, embedded in a concrete wall covered in graffiti and dead moss, was a weathered steel door. Usagi could sense Seshi's power on the door; a charm to keep humans from lingering around or looking too closely at the recently replaced door knob and hinges. There was some plastic trash scattered around the gravel-covered ground to make it look abandoned, but nothing that would rot or rust.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

She knocked three times in quick succession and stepped back, bracing for the worst.

A smiling face between two long brown ears greeted Usagi as the door opened. "Hello again, Usagi! Thank you for coming to visit!" Shika cheered. She was dressed in a slim tan sleeveless dress that made her look even more slender than she already was.

"Thanks for having me," Usagi said far less enthusiastically. A spark of jealousy flared up at Shika's supermodel physique, something that surely made buying clothes a breeze, but the fire died out when her eyes settled on Shika's modest breasts. Usagi smiled and thought, I have her soundly beat in the butt department too.

Shika threw the door wide and beckoned. "Come in, come in. I know it's not much, but it's our lovely little home."

Usagi tried to keep a straight face as she took in the repurposed maintenance room. The walls were raw concrete, partially obscured by posters and wall scrolls, and the floor was covered in various scraps of salvaged carpet. A frameless mattress occupied one corner, and racks of clothes, boxes of supplies, and a computer desk filled the rest of the small space. The computer, bedsheets, and clothes all looked expensive, but everything else was either cheap junk purchased from a convenience store or literally scavenged from dumpsters.

"Oh, it's nice," she lied. "But I'm sure you can do better, now that Nezumi got those contracts."

Nezumi, who was sitting at the computer desk in a baggy sweatshirt and tiny jean shorts, shrugged and said, "Yeah, but we're not in a hurry. A lease would really tie us down and drain our coffers."

Shika unfolded a small chair and set it next to the concrete wall. "Take a seat, Usagi. I'll get some tea going."

"Thanks," Usagi said, resisting the urge to wipe the seat off before she sat down. Nothing in the tiny home appeared to be dirty, but it was setting off alarm bells in her head just the same. This is a summertime hideout for preteen boys, not a home for working adults, she thought.

She tried a new tact. "Think about the advantages of an apartment, though. Hot showers, a proper stove… The best thing about being an animal spirit is getting the best of what human society has to offer."

Nezumi quickly responded, "As long as I can ignore the parts of society I don't care for. I'd be a terrible mother to anything more needy than Emily."

Shika giggled as she poured tea from a portable electric kettle. "If you loved our child as much as you love that drone, we'd do just fine."

"Whoa, hold up." Nezumi waved her hands frantically. "Don't go tossing around 'our child' like it's real or anything!"

Usagi couldn't resist asking, "What would you even do? Adopt a human orphan?"

She didn't mention that the idea had crossed her mind more than once over the last few decades. Usagi had a natural need to care for things, like her garden, her housemates, and Inara. But Inara didn't demand much of her, and neither did the garden or the other girls. It left her feeling more than a little unfulfilled.

Shika giggled again, her melodic voice filling the small space and echoing off the walls. "That, or mentor a young spirit who needs guidance. The world's grown more hostile to spirits with the rise of technology, but Nezumi's got that stuff all figured out."

Nezumi blanched. "Uh, first of all, human tech is way more diverse and complex than you know. By the time I figure one thing out, it seems like they've already advanced to something else. And, I don't think we're in any state to mentor someone, not when Usagi's here to mentor us."

Shika's ears sagged. "Right. Thanks for coming by. We're still pretty bad at this human stuff." She took a deep breath, then added, "And friendships. We never had friends before Seshi and Akari and you."

Usagi blushed. She had never had a friend outside her shrine family. "Happy to help."

Then she frowned as something occurred to her. "Wait, since you don't have a kitchen here, are you eating out for all your meals?"

Nezumi answered, "Yep. We get fancy stuff sometimes, but usually we just eat pizza and other fast food. Oh, and we have instant ramen we can make here."

Usagi stayed quiet, but couldn't contain her scowl.

Shika noticed and frowned. "Is that bad?"

Usagi let loose. "You may be spirits, but you have living bodies now and you owe them more than junk food! That settles it. Tonight I'm making you a week's worth of meals with proper nutrition, and once you have a real apartment with a kitchen, I'm teaching you to make real meals for yourselves."

Nezumi shrank into her chair, but Shika bounced on her toes, saying, "Oh, you'd do that for us? That's so kind of you, Usagi. Thank you!"

"Yeah… thanks…" Nezumi grumbled. Usagi could tell that Nezumi had resigned herself to moving into an apartment, now that Shika was excited for it.

"Actually," Shika started. "How about we solve both problems at the same time? We'll help you make those meals for us, and learn how to cook for ourselves in the process."

Nezumi's big ears twitched. "We're going back to the shrine?"

Shika nodded. "Yeah, that was the idea, at least. Is that a problem?"

"No, I guess not. I just don't know if Inara-sama and Inu even like me…"

Usagi raised a hand. "Inu is actually named Michi now, and I think everyone liked you just fine. Small warning that Hebi is a lot more severe when she's sober, but that doesn't mean she has a problem with you."

"Oh! What lovely news," Shika cheered. "We'll have to bring a gift for Michi! She likes sports manga, right?"

Usagi blinked. "Yeah, but I'm surprised you know that."

"Heh," Nezumi chuckled. "Shika's a pro at learning people's interests. I bet she already knows what gift she'd give to you, Usagi."

"Yep! I've got some things in mind, but I was hoping to refine the list after seeing your kitchen and garden again."

"Uh, oh, okay," Usagi stammered, surprised at Shika's kindness and consideration. "Well, can one of you contact Seshi or Akari and let them know you'll be coming over today? You can stay for dinner too."

"On it," Nezumi said, already typing away on one of her many cell phones. Judging by all the phones in labeled plastic bags on her desk, she was still doing phone repairs in between her big government contracts.

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That afternoon, while Usagi carefully coached two complete amateurs through kitchen basics, Akari snuck away to her room for a quick nap. She wasn't tired, but she wanted to look forward into the far future, something too involved to do while distracted.

This is going even better than expected, Akari thought as she laid down on top of her sheets and closed her eyes. I just wanted Usagi to make some friends outside the shrine, so she'd be less focused on Inara, but I think she's getting even more out of this.

Then she opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling. Is it wrong to check on her future so soon? Will I interact with Usagi and Shika and Nezumi differently if I see that they'll be close friends in the future? If I see that Usagi will be there with Inara at the end, what do I do next? Leave her alone, out of fear that I'll knock her back off that path?

Then something else occurred to Akari: she was guiding the actions of others without getting involved herself. She was standing on the sidelines like some sort of crossing guard or air traffic controller, directing other people's lives and hardly living a life of her own. And each time she nudged someone down a path, she ran off to check the eventual results at the end of that path, like an impatient reader skipping to the end of the book.

Akari sat up, thinking with conviction, This is no way to live.

She hopped to her feet, brushed the wrinkles from her shirt and smoothed her hair, then left the bedroom. If a vision comes tonight, so be it. But I'm not going to miss out on my own life, no matter how long it ends up being.

She strode into the kitchen just in time to hear Shika say, "I noticed that this recipe makes twelve servings. That's fine for making a week's worth of meals, but what do I do for a single dinner with just the two of us?"

Usagi's ears stiffened and she didn't seem to have an answer for Shika's question. Akari had never seen Usagi make just two servings of anything; even when she was cooking for just Inara, she tended to go bigger than necessary.

But Akari had done it herself more times than she could count. She cleared her throat and said, "I can help you with that. I used to cook for just me and my dad all the time."

"Oh really?!" Shika looked almost too relieved, like the thought of preparing too much food had been truly terrifying.

"Yeah. I can show you some tips and tricks, and I'm pretty sure I've got a 'cooking for two' cookbook you can have." Then she turned and smiled at Usagi. "I hope it's okay that I'm stepping in here?"

Usagi returned the smile. "It's quite welcome, Akari. Thank you."