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ATM Rewrite: B2 — 21. Homecoming
🕑 Added 2024-04-25 22:20:04 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Sora Moore (Our Protagonist Fox Girl)
Google Document (In-line Comments)
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Heading out on the town in the slightly cloudy Miami afternoon, Sora’s tail swung while observing the chatty blonde Valkyrie and tanuki. Eyia wanted to know all about their adventures growing up together and what she was like as a little kit, as the raccoon woman called her.
She occasionally jumped in to offer her own input into the conversation since Wendy was doing her best to ignore Noelia. Sora could tell it hurt Noelia a little to have such a cold shoulder from one of the kids she helped to raise, but she also got the sense that she understood Wendy’s position.
It was hard to keep her excitement in check and her eyes away from her phone as they entered the biggest boutiques in the area. In exactly twenty-seven minutes, her mother would make her appearance. Questions squirreled through her mind as her heartbeat escalated with every passing minute.
What is Mom going to look like? Is she going to look more Japanese or Irish? Will she come with her own clothing or will we need to shop? Why am I thinking about my mom like a dress-up doll?! she internally laughed.
We may need to shop a bit before meeting Aiden at the monster restaurant…I need to find out its actual name! Wait…I didn’t call and tell Ron, Howie, Mary, or Daisy! There are so many people I need to invite! Should I call Tom? He is kind of family, and I could just spell him to think everyone is normal… Yeah, I need to get to calling people!
Wendy drew Eyia away to find a fashionable dress for the fancy party, leaving Noelia and her together; Sora hardly noticed what was happening until the pair were already moving away.
“Huh? Wendy…”
“Shopping,” she absently called back. “I think blue would look adorable on you, Eyia. The blonde and sapphire eyes…your long hair smoothed back…and with heels, you’d draw so much attention!”
“Are you sure, Sister?” Eyia frowned, glancing at the small, expensive shoe section. “Jin says that it is disrespectful for women to wear the big foot platforms when a girl is as tall as me. It insults the small men of the society and causes trouble with the, eh, internet trolls. I do not wish to start a war over heels.”
“Jin said what?” Wendy snickered, brightening up at the topic. “Okay, Jin is pretty funny. It’s a joke…kind of. You’re fine!”
“If you say so…they are not the best footwear for combat, but a statement of the butt and legs, yes?”
One of the employees bustled over with a giggle at the conversation, jumping in to try and sell them the store; Sora was a recognizable face due to all the bullies she’d bought stuff for in the past, and so when she showed up, employees got moving.
“Yes, heels are a fashion statement, and you’d look stunning with your figure, miss. Would you like to try a few styles? I can see if we have the proper size…”
Sora pushed her lips to the side as another woman came to help her, swiftly disengaging from another pair of women who didn’t seem like they were going to buy anything.
“Can I help—”
“Not right now,” she swiftly replied, “but…you can help Noelia here!”
“No, Sora, I’m fine,” the woman replied with a waving hand. “I have plenty of outfits. I’m just happy to be in your orbit again. It doesn’t feel so…lonely.”
“Aww,” Sora cooed, loving her drawn-back ears and awkward smile. “Okay, then why don’t you pick something out for me? I need to go out and make some calls. Find me something really cute for my mom?”
“I’d…love to. Thank you for allowing me back in your life after I lied to you.”
Noelia breathed out the stress in her chest, and Sora figured the woman’s fidgets and uncertainty were well-grounded, considering her potential executioner was less than half an hour out. Sora had faith, though. From what she could tell, the tanuki had done nothing wrong so far. Sure, dancing with her dad was a little weird to think about, but with how isolated she sounded, Sora couldn’t blame her for getting a little attached to her dad.
“Awesome! I’ll be back in a second…I have a lot to talk to you about.”
Stopping at the doorway, she let a group of young women by while looking between Noelia, Wendy, and Eyia. Everything she’d lost over the years was coming back and redoubling in folds. She feared there was some big hammer waiting to come down and bonk her atop the head, but until that came, she’d enjoy every second of this wholesome vibe.
Fingers tightening around her phone, she left the store and moved across the street through a break in traffic to sit on a bench. The grassy area between the store and the beach gave her a full view of the active ocean partiers. Crossing her legs, she glanced to her left, where a Miami Beach art fair was going on—Miami was always so active.
Opening her contacts, she bobbed left and right to the beach music while the watersports area continued with its activities, oblivious to her presence. Mary was the first one she called. It rang a few times before the psychiatrist answered.
“It’s been a few days, Sora!” the mature woman greeted. “I hope everything has been okay. I understand that your mother is returning today. How is Wendy?”
“Oh, yeah, I guess I already told you,” she chuckled, her smile falling a little as she glanced back at the boutique. “Wendy is…doing okay. Could you maybe talk to her today at some point? She can’t call our mom, well, mom, which I totally get…but there is another exciting update that has me worried.”
“Go on?” Mary hummed, and Sora heard her sit straighter in her creaky chair. The sounds in the background made Sora’s ears twitch. “Is this new from what you texted me about yesterday?”
“Yeah, it is. Umm. You’re at work right now…I’m not taking your time away from other teens that need you, am I?”
Mary shifted in her chair, likely looking out of her big glass windows. “Not at the moment. I’m waiting for my next client. It’s been a little slow lately…which I suspect has something to do with the combined effects of the Foundation and your mother’s handiwork.”
“What do you mean?” Sora mumbled, shifting in her seat to look at her weaving tail. “Are your former patients okay?”
“Yes, actually. Your school had a lot of troubled young girls who saw me. You were not my only client,” she said with a short chortle. “And when I inquired about a few of them, I discovered that many of my client records had been destroyed, and when I looked into it, I found them living happy, productive lives.”
Tongue pressing against her cheek, Sora breathed out through her nose in a long stream. “Mmm. So…did you see what happened to Lori? Kari had a lot of girls in her gang, and I think at least half of them were infected by Jenny. With everyone forgetting about us…I guess things would go back to normal. That’s crazy…how much effect we had on people at school, that is.”
A short hum rumbled in Mary’s throat as she tapped her tablet’s glass, the sounds making Sora scan the active beach. “Lori is doing fantastic from what I was able to glean from Ms. Patterson; she’s a star in the drama class. She looks a lot better…but my interactions with her were limited to that hellish stadium and a few short discussions at school regarding you in my initial investigation.”
Sora’s mood soured a little at the mention of the school psychologist’s name, but she moved past it. “That’s good.”
“It is…and what is this exciting and worrisome news you were teasing at?”
“Oh! Uh, Noelia is back.”
Mary was silent for a few seconds, her fingers skidding across her tablet, and Sora realized she was probably updating her file as they spoke.
“…Noelia, your long-term caretaker that quit over your medication. I cannot see a typical caretaker doing such a thing, so am I right to assume that she had some kind of supernatural insight into why you didn’t require it?”
“Bingo!” Sora chimed. “She’s actually a 3rd Gen Founder like me—a tanuki—which…happens to be my family’s worst enemy, but…Noelia was kicked out of her family for being barren like my mom. Crazy, huh?”
“Mhm… Do you like her? You sound like you have had a positive experience.”
“I have!” Getting up, Sora began to pace, her tail swaying with her hips as she felt the thrill of the beach party music coursing through her—Magic Man: Texas—she was having such a good morning. “She was always fun when we were kids. Hah! She had more energy than we did. I can totally see why she was so attentive to us now, too…she was lonely and wanted a family.”
“…I see. Hmm.” Mary turned back to her desk as the female secretary spoke through the speaker.
“Dr. Jernigans, that new patient named Kari is here to see you. You wanted me to send her in when she arrived?”
Mary’s voice took on a frown. “Thank you, Patty. In the future, could you please buzz me and wait for me to respond?”
“Oh, sorry, Dr. Jernigans! I’m still getting used to the protocols in your office.”
“It’s fine. I just may be on my personal phone.”
“Understood! Should, I, umm, send her in now?”
“Yes, send her in. It will likely be a long session, so hold all calls unless there are emergencies.”
“Yes, Dr. Jernigans.”
Sora’s tail motions paused with her invisible movements, looking to the north side of Miami Beach, where Mary’s practice was. Kari left her room and went to see Mary, huh. How did she know where she was? I guess Mary gave her her number at some point.
“I’m guessing you heard that, Sora. What time is your mother returning?”
“Uh…like, twenty-two minutes? We’re having a party…I suppose you’ll be busy, though—which is totally fine! Kari is more important than some party.”
“Oh, wow, that’s much sooner than I expected, and that is so sweet of you to say about Kari, Sora. You have grown up so much in the last three weeks; I know this is a big deal to you. Yes, I doubt I will be able to make the party, but I’ll be sure to stop by later tonight with my husband to get properly acquainted with your new guardian…”
She paused and turned toward the door as a gentle knock sounded at it. “In any case, I’ll see you later tonight. Have a lovely day, Sora.”
“Mhm! Thanks, Mary.”
The connection cut as she said, “Yes, come in, Kari.”
Sora couldn’t help but smile rosily, knowing Mary was taking care of Kari. Wendy had some bumps to get over, but she could feel the ride with Kari smoothing over now. Her going to Mary on her own was huge.
“Okay…Howie and Daisy… And call!”
Unable to sit still with the rush of the natural energy of the environment and the general vibe of the busy Miami party bustle, Sora walked in a circle around the grassy section of the beach as she connected. Howie’s spry voice filled her with joy compared to how the dead, soul-drained man sounded two weeks ago.
She felt butterflies in her belly just thinking about the wholesome and sweet morning she’d had with them yesterday when they made homemade brown sugar syrup for their breakfast. Yeah, they had to have their wedding in the upstairs party area in the suite.
On second thought, yeah, maybe having a magical light elevator would raise eyebrows. She’d have to bring it up to Howie because his family might not be so accepting. Hey, she had magical illusions, though.
“Sora! How are you?”
Daisy followed from beside him, sounding like they were in the kitchen. “Afternoon, Sora! What time does your mom get in today? We’re trying to make a few dishes. I’m not the best cook, but I’m trying!”
“Oh, you’re fine, Sweetie,” Howie reassured, leaning in to peck her on the cheek by the sound of the smooch. “What are a few burned cookies in the aim for perfection?”
“I’m good,” Sora giggled. “And she’ll be here in like…nineteen minutes.”
“Woah! So soon?”
“Wait, how long?” Daisy inquired. “Put it on speaker; my hands are all floury.”
“Why don’t you use your tail—ouch!” he laughed, spiking Sora’s curiosity. “Okay, okay, it’s on speaker.”
“Wait, when did you get a succubus tail, Daisy?”
“Last night,” the blonde replied, not sounding too worried. “I was a little freaked out at first, but Howie says it’s cute. I think it has to do with this seed you put in me, maybe? I’m getting so much energy that I think it’s, uh, unlocking more of my powers. Yeah, other succubus would kill me for something like this.”
“Cool. Cool—eh?!”
“Howie!”
The man snickered, sounding like he threw some flour in her face. “You should see how many holes she has in the back of her jeans, trying to find a comfortable place for her tail—does it stretch the back too much?” he mockingly said.
“Oh, shut up! You were the one that kept fussing over it.”
“Only because you won’t let me touch it yet…”
“A-And I wonder why that is,” she shot back, and Sora could see her burning cheeks. “I’ve had it for one day! Let me figure it out. Geez.”
Yeah, Sora thought, it’s totally super sensitive in certain places, and he wants to tease her about it, and she’s scared.
“I’ll take a look at it when we meet up; we can meet in the restaurant bathroom. My mom might have an answer, too.”
Relief touched Daisy’s voice. “Thank you, Sora.”
“Boo! Not the good sugar dough—I perfected that one!”
“Then your face better catch it!”
“Oof! Mmm. Sugary.”
Daisy breathed out a half-frustrated, half-amused sigh. “I’m fine with a tail, and all, but I’d rather not get red skin, weird hair, or suddenly get pulled down to Hell—Howie!”
“We’ll already need to take a shower, so what’s the harm? Hehe,” he cackled, making Sora’s stomach cramp with how adorable they were.
“No more flour balls, Howie! Are we just going to leave the kitchen even more of a mess?!”
“Why not? Let’s make the Foundation cleaning crew earn their paycheck!”
“Ahhh! It went all down my bra…”
“Hahaha! We’ll get ready and head over. Wait, where are we going again?”
“Yeah,” Daisy darkly chuckled, “we’ll probably be a bit late, and she’s having it at Eight Tables.”
“No, not the whole sack, Daisy!”
“You asked for it!”
Sora could imagine the scene as the lovey-dovey pair made a total mess of their fancy downstairs suite kitchen. She hung up with their baking ingredient battle cries raging in the background, shouting out their attacks like some anime characters did.
They’re so cute and dorky. So, the little goblin-owned restaurant is called Eight Tables. That’s cool…it has more than eight tables, though. I’ll have to ask about the name when we get there. Hmm. Finally, Ron, then I change into whatever Noelia got me, and…I guess Mom shows up! I just want to punch something! Is that normal? Totally normal!
Humming to the next song that had the beach bumping, busy with several volleyball games happening that were within eyesight, Sora called the last number. Ron’s enthusiastic, deep voice came over the speaker on the eighth ring.
“How is it going, Ron? Is Steph back yet?”
“No, but I woke up to a few frozen petals on my pillow, which means she’ll be back soon. I’m down at the corner store getting a few boxes of ice cream. She’s a sucker for sweet cold things on her tongue and hot on her feet, so I’ve got some heat pads, too.”
“You’re so good to her,” Sora whispered. “So…you won’t be able to make it to my mom’s party? I get it if she wants you two to lay low.”
“Hmm? No, I think I’ll be able to make it. What time is it?”
“Uh…fifteenish minutes? Around there.”
“That’s quick! Okay, uh, I’m guessing you won’t be at the place in fifteen minutes, though.”
“Oh, yeah, probably not,” she laughed. “I can send you the instructions. It’s spelled, so someone will probably need to guide you in. Howie and Daisy are going to be late, so you can text them and see if they’ll take you. Daisy can get you in.”
“Howie and Daisy, hmm? That reminds me…check this book Howie sent me, eh…no, is it called a manabaga?”
Ron’s deep chuckles were followed by a buzz that shook Sora’s phone, and she swiped up to see what photo he’d sent her. Sora grinned as it came through.
“Manga. Where did you get the b…pfft! The Ugly Duck and the Shy Succubus. What a title.”
“Right? I’ll give them a shout. You were into anime, I remember, but Wendy was into those Japanese comics.”
“Better not let her catch you calling them comics! Anyway, I look forward to seeing you at the restaurant. Bye!”
“See you soon.”
Hanging up, Sora took a deep breath, held it, and let it go. Her heart burned as she heard a new song from one of the side stores on her way back, the lyrics bringing her back to the line Howie had told Daisy on their last date as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Dominic Balli, It Feels So Right… Galaxies were made to shine, and your lips were made for kissing mine. He totally got it from here. Howie and Ron are such awesome men. Steph and Daisy are lucky…well, Ron did score a literal super-goddess giant, so maybe it evens out. And a shy succubus wife? Okay, yeah, they complement each other. What about Dad and Mom?
Her heart felt like it was melting when she remembered her dad’s loving aura when they talked about their romance. When everything else went wrong and the world crumbled around her, she could count on her family’s strong connections. The more bonds she built, the easier things became.
Crossing the street and entering the boutique, she saw the minutes nearing the single digits. Sora couldn’t help but smile upon seeing the sunflower-themed designer dress Eyia wore and the black, shin-length halter-top dress Wendy had donned.
“Cute!” Sora chimed, spotting them both in matching sandal wedges rather than classical heels. “Grab some jewelry, too.”
“Is this how you do the battle posture?” Eyia asked, performing an adorable synchronous pose next to Wendy, who tried to restrain a giggle. “We face down the demons of fashion!”
Chuckles and clapping came from a few of the nearby women, seemingly enjoying whatever Wendy had been teaching the blonde Valkyrie.
“Evil-doers beware,” Wendy said, fighting through her laughter, “the Sailor Sisters take no prisoners!”
She giggled and joined the clapping mothers and young women. “Not really sailor outfits, but sure, it works. Oh, and Noelia, that is elegant,” she praised as the half-Japanese and half-Latina tanuki approached, displaying her items.
“A Lisa Tan floral waterfall, midi dress? I like the black layers on the bottom of the skirt and sleeves with the cross-open section in the back…but it does look like it is supposed to come with a hat.”
Noelia twisted her finger in the air with a beaming smile, where a hat materialized along with black open heels, earrings, and a few other jewelry pieces from behind illusions.
“I’ve taken the liberty of spelling them to accommodate your size and extra inconveniencies. They didn’t have one in your size, but that is no trouble for me to fix.”
“Thank you!” Sora jumped forward to hug her former caretaker, catching Wendy’s scowl from the side; the other women didn’t even act as if they’d spoken due to her magic. “I should get dressed before my mom gets here.”
“I will purchase the items to save us some time,” the woman said, hesitantly moving toward Wendy and Eyia. “Would that be okay, Wendy?”
“…Sure.”
Sora sighed while taking over ownership of levitating the items with her magic and went to the dressing room. She jumped as Noelia’s voice spoke directly to her mind as she was in the process of changing.
“Sora, I don’t want to stand between Wendy and you. She is hurting—badly—and confused. I’m not the person she remembers and trusts. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. I could exclude myself. I’m sure your mother will ask for me when she wants to talk.”
“I don’t think that’s needed,” Sora whispered, her ears twitching and tail flicking to the left as she watched her tail simply pass through the dress like a ghost. Once in the proper place, the fabric seamlessly gripped the base of her tail as if hugging it. “I think you’re the one who is nervous to meet my mom, and you’re also worried about Wendy. It will only be a few more minutes. Can’t you wait until she shows up?”
“I…am scared,” she mumbled with a strained laugh. “I may be thousands of years old, but…but I’ve never been able to settle down…to make any connections…because I didn’t want them to be taken away from me. I didn’t want to be hurt, until…”
“Until you found someone you didn’t think she’d take away,” Sora said, a painful pressure compressing her chest. “If you’re honest, and I think you are…then you don’t need to worry about my mom. I’d be a hypocrite if I told Eyia to judge Kari by who she is rather than what she is…and I do see you as the Noelia that helped raise me. And I forgive you for taking a stand for me, even if it led to you being ripped out of my life.”
“You…are so very unlike other vulpes…unlike your mother and aunt. At least, from what terrible stories I have heard. I’ve never met them, personally… Well, heh, until a few days ago. Now, I’m worried Wendy might think that I’m making an illusion of your mother to manipulate you… It would be something my father would do, I bet.”
“I’m not worried about that…because I trust my mom, and I think she’s gambling on you, so I will trust you too.”
When she exited the dressing room and was greeted by her sisters and caretaker, her thumping heart settled down. She felt so lucky, strong, and proud to have such precious friends. Her life had turned from hell to heaven.
Walking out, she gave Noelia a smile before taking Wendy and Eyia by the hand, her magic gathering up her discarded clothes in the dressing room. With the outfits paid for, she walked outside. Wendy looked queasy, her grip like a vise and face ashen as she glanced around, waiting for the goddess fox she’d seen in her dreams to appear.
“Where is she?”
Sora took them across the street to the grassy beach zone, looking to the tanuki for the answer. Noelia’s arms were looped around her bushy tail, bristling while trying to control her breathing; her fingers were linked tighter than Wendy’s as she looked into the cloudy skies.
“…Here,” she choked, and Sora’s jaw slackened as Noelia’s complex magic wove above them, peeling back the clouds and heavens. “Woah…”
Wendy’s worry was swept away with overwhelmed awe as space warped to give them a zoomed-in yet expanded view of the blackness of the solar system. Foundation and alien spaceships that she’d seen on the Moon Base dotted the zone Noelia revealed, yet they soon looked like dust as the scene continued to broaden.
What looked to be a semi-gracious ellipsoid object overshadowed Jupiter, passing through it like a ghost as millions of rings spun around its rapid rotation. It appeared to be moving so fast that it made everything else around it look frozen in time, and its turquoise, sapphire, and orange layers shimmered as if individual cloudy atmospheres.
Side illusions came into shape beside the vast expanse above them, showing various Foundation bases across the solar system scrambling to get to their big ships, with giant, hidden cannons on Mars and in the asteroid belt moving to aim at the object. In the next second, it vanished.
“Is it…as big as the sun?” Sora mumbled in shock. “It came out of nowhere, and then it—uh…Noelia?”
A chill ran down Sora’s tail, her ears pulling back when the whole sky reflected the orange, swirling mass she’d seen at the top of the alien supership. Not a single person seemed to see the smoky substance that filtered through dimensional fields, turning the whole planet milky blue. And then the ruby rain started to fall.
Every person was locked in place, but it wasn’t them, or the planet itself; Sora guessed the whole solar system had been trapped in some kind of temporal field. Sora couldn’t breathe as energy beings flashed around them, the low rumbles of machines and alien voices beyond her understanding vibrating the air.
She felt the impossibly powerful shifts flip everything she knew about physics, and then it was gone. A sharp gust of wind blew past them, making her blink, and the world returned to normal, yet one new addition immediately snatched her gaze—a very familiar, awkward, smiling mother.
Nine fluffy red tails fanned out behind her mom, wearing a rather casual red and white-themed long-sleeve dress that fell to her ankles. Her ruby eyes looked between them, not seemingly knowing how to cut through the awkward pause that fell on them as tourists and locals hurried around them to get to a big event on the beach.
Not one person glanced her way, and Sora felt a rather weak illusion of sorts keeping her inhuman features hidden—biologically based, not technology or magic.
“…Ahem. Eh-hehe. So, umm, hello! Sorry for the dramatic entrance. I warned the Foundation, but it seems they didn’t quite take my warning about how much more advanced the civilization, ahem, I commissioned this body from was, so…they’ll probably be showing up soon. Sora, Wend—”
Lurching forward, tears in her eyes, Sora tackled her mom to the grass, hugging her around her waist. “Mom! Mom, you’re really here?!”
“Haha. Yes, Little Ember. I’m here to stay…but I’m afraid we don’t have much time.”
Nose burning and unable to stop it from running a little, she looked up from her mother’s belly, still holding her on the grass. “Why? What’s happening?”
Her ears pulled back as her mom rubbed her head, and the others shuffled closer. “Because…Stephanie is in a bit of trouble.”
“Huh?! What do we need to do?” Sora swiftly asked, her mind sobering fast as her tail lit with foxfire. “Who is it? I’ll burn them!”
“Haha. You misunderstand, my adorable little vicious kit…Stephanie should have returned to Ron’s side by now, but she postponed it as long as she could until I was able to arrive… Her baby is coming earlier than expected, and she’ll need our help to deliver him.”
All thought died as she wrapped her brain around the unexpected change in everything she’d planned for today. “Stephanie is…in labor?! What do we do, Mom?!” she asked, starting to panic. “How do we give birth to a giant baby—a Celestial baby—a…half-human Celestial baby?! What do we do?!”
“Shhh. Shhh,” her mother soothed, pushing herself up to hold her. “I’ve already talked it over in length with her. She is scared—there are potential complications—so we need to be strong for her…because she is losing her powers, and rapidly. Noelia, I’ll need your help.”
The tanuki swallowed a hard lump in her throat. “A-Anything you might need, Lady Mia.”
“Hehe. No need to stand on ceremony, granddaughter of Tsukuyomi. You took care of my little girl and did your best to give her what I could not…for that, I am grateful, and I know your precious heart is pure. You are welcomed in my territory, so long as you do not betray my family; if you have no home, you have one within my den.”
Sora hiccuped, a rush of emotions crawling up her chest as she saw the trembling tanuki grip her mouth and collapse to her butt, unable to keep herself stable. Stephanie was having her baby, Noelia was free to be a part of their family, and her mother was home—her mother was home.
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