episode 15: A Reconciliation

-David-

My mind was spinning as I left the store. Not really knowing what else to do, I just went home. Trying to travel to the farm seemed ridiculous, but really, I needed to know what was going on. I was worried that Ellen would either get me thrown off the farm by calling the authorities, or, well, other methods. And honestly, I’d had enough interactions with magic for the moment. Lost in thought, I walked down my street and was startled to find Takara on my porch.

She was sitting on one of the old willow chairs, her leather jacket inadequate against the cold; not that she seemed to notice. She sat there smoking a cigarette and sipping a takeout coffee.

"Hello, David," she said.

I stopped, staring. Honestly, during the entire ride home on the streetcar, I’d been dreading what to do about Takara, thinking that I’d have to chase her down. That she’d deny everything, saying I was drunk or stoned or delirious. That it had been a wild animal that attacked me, or… something.

Instead, I got, "I suppose we should talk about that goblin, and stuff, eh?"

"Jesus," I rubbed my face in my hands, and then it was Takara’s turn to swear, "For fuck’s sake, David, those bandages were for your own protection. Not to mention that some of those ingredients were fucking expensive.” Before I knew it, she was off the porch, and had my hand between hers, staring at the altered finger with an unnerving intensity. I jerked back, trying to pull my hand free, but her grip had an unnatural, disconcerting, strength and she just said, "Hold still." Then she looked at me, the gold rims around her brown iris’ flaring. "What happened?"

This time, I managed to pull my hand free. "What fucking business is it of yours? Don’t you think you did enough to cast a compulsion on me, and who knows what else sort of magic?"

For a heartbeat she looked shocked, hurt, even. “Well, maybe I should have left you to the consequences of the venom, and we’d have seen exactly how far those changes could have gone? Would you have preferred that?"

I flushed then, realizing that she’d probably saved my life, but I was still confused and angry at being in this situation in the first place, and I spoke, before thinking, "So, what, it was too much for you to stay? Make sure that things didn’t go off the rails? Did you think that I’d have just sat there hoping that everything would work out?"

"Well, with the exception of today, that seems to be what you’ve been doing."

"Fuck you, Takara. You know damn well that I’ve been trying to figure this shit out. Maybe if you’d trusted me a little more, this shit might not have gone so far."

"Now look at who’s full of shit. You could barely handle the possibility that magic was real."

"So, it made sense to leave me alone after I’d been attacked by some sort of, fuck I can’t even believe I’m saying this, some sort of goblin, and then wrap my hand with a profoundly powerful spell and a compulsion to drink a horrible potion upon waking. And you’re surprised it went sideways?"

"Oh, for fuck’s sake, would you prefer your goblin continue lurking around your backyard? Who do you think has been clearing out those little bastards?" She stood then, as though to leave, and I realized I didn’t want her to go.

"You got him? The one that bit me?" Suddenly I wasn’t sure about how I felt about that.

That seemed to stop her. She paused, then, "No. he’s more clever than the others."

"He’s spent more time here," I said, "with the gate closed. I recognized him. It changed him."

"What?" she asked.

"Look, let’s go inside," I said, "have some good coffee," I said, gesturing at her Coffeetime cup, "and maybe some food, and we’ll try to figure this out."

She looked at me, consideringly, then shrugged, "Fine, besides, you owe me a breakfast."

I couldn’t help it then. I laughed. "It’s true, though it’s a bit late for that," I responded, gesturing at the dimming light.

"It’s never too late for breakfast. Besides, I’m famished. You probably are too."

And I realized she was right. When we got in, I put on the coffee and started making omelettes. Takara made coffee; She knew where everything was, which surprised me. I made some comment, and she said, "I’ve been watching you for some time."

"Jesus," I said, concentrating on whisking the eggs. "Ever since the gate?"

"Yeah." She seemed sheepish.

"Great, so I’ve been stalked by some sort of were-fox."

She punched me, not as hard as I knew she could, but hard enough to sting. "Kitsuné. Don’t be cultural ingrate."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Kitsuné, then."

"Better, asshole." She responded, her tone icy; even so, I sensed a smile.

I threw some bacon in the pan. "Crispy, or not?"

"It’s bacon. I’m good with whatever."

"Carnivore,"

She snapped her teeth at me, and they were sharp. Not human. It sent a chill down my spine, but I just rolled my eyes at her. She laughed then and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Despite everything; that she was a magical creature who had been stalking my house and slaughtering alien creatures in my backyard, that she had her own agenda, and finally, that she could change into a fox, I felt comfortable with her here. In a way, that was more than unexpected. She was prickly, to be sure, but didn’t seem to be inclined to hold a grudge. More importantly, she seemed to find my sense of humour as funny, rather than, well, offensive.

It was weird, but welcome.

We ate, and she asked, "So, what happened? That," and here she gestured at my finger, "is not something that I would have predicted, even with an unknown venom."

I told her about Louise, Cecily and the rest, getting sidetracked with the description of the store.

Takara shook her head at this, "Grandmother would not approve."

"Why?"

"Too exposed, too much potential for arrests."

"It’s been said that it’s unlikely that any prosecution would be successful."

"Assuming that you can afford the lawyer, or there isn’t some scare about magic, and they decide to crack down. Governments do that, periodically."

"That hasn’t happened in decades."

“No, but that still doesn’t change the fact that it has.”

"I guess not, but still, she was helpful."

"And she is skilled. That much I’ve heard."

"You know her?"

"Only by reputation. Unlike your friends with the bull."

I served up the eggs and bacon while Takara buttered some toast. We sat down, Takara said, "She’s right you know, you’ll need to talk to Ellen."

I sighed again. "Not to be a jerk, but why is any of this your concern?"

Takara chewed on a piece of bacon, took a sip of coffee, and made a face. "Can we spike this?"

I got up and grabbed a bottle of bourbon, and poured a dollop for both of us. "So?"

She took another sip, "I’m Kitsuné, that means that I have an inherent obligation to watching the ways, to making sure the gates to our realm are under our control, or better yet, closed."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, who made you the one responsible?"

"Look, it’s not like I’m a huge fan of this. I’d be happy to let it go, but when these wild gates show up, they’re like an itch in my brain. How much of it is innate, and how much is Grandmother’s training, I don’t know."

"Your grandmother did this to you?"

"It’s a long story. My mother is Japanese, my father, Grandmother’s son, Chinese. She never approved of the match, but let it go forward because she saw my mother as useful. Grandmother has become a guardian, of sorts, simply because no one else was willing or able. She uses it to accrue more power and she, mostly, makes things better. But she’s a… difficult woman."

"Can’t you, I don’t know, resign?"

"Sure, and we could let whatever is coming through that gate attack anyone else that comes through the gate. You saw the Sidhe — it has plans."

"Isn’t there someone else?

"Like the police?"

I shrugged. She just laughed. "Not only would they be unequipped, I mean look at how hard it was for you to accept what was happening. And if they did, they would react with a ban on magics. I mean, if that woman created that gate deliberately, or through simple idiocy, then I’d be happy to see her take a fall. But it would take the rest of us with her."

I took a sip of my coffee, suddenly grateful for the booze. "Jesus."

"So, we need to go see her."

"We?" I asked.

"Would you prefer to find her alone?"

"No," I admitted.

"Alright, then, we should probably head out tomorrow. First thing."

"And when we get there?"

"I’m not sure."

We chatted, running through some options, speculating on what Ellen was up to for a few hours longer. Eventually we switched from spiked coffee to straight up bourbon. Takara spent the night, and I woke at first light, her body warm and naked next to mine. It was very comfortable, natural. I shook my head, not really understanding what was going on between us, but somehow, it seemed as if it was almost inevitable. She seemed deeply asleep, so I got up and made coffee. When I got back, she’d taken over the entire bed and was fully cocooned in the covers.

"It’s six," I said. "You wanted to get going."

"Fuck," she said, "a proper host would wake me with coffee."

I waved a cup next to her mostly buried face, and she opened one eye at me. "I guess you do have redeeming characteristics."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

She sat up in bed, with no sign of self-consciousness, and took the coffee. She took my breath away. I sat beside her.

"I need to go by the shop before we go."

"Okay."

______________________________

I leaned against the doorway into the shop while Takara and her grandmother had a heated conversation in a language I didn’t understand. They would both gesture at me emphatically, periodically, as I leaned there, awkwardly awaiting the outcome of the argument. Eventually, her grandmother threw her hands in the air and rummaged through the supplies. She put together a package for Takara and shoved it at her, her entire manner exuding irritation.

Takara stomped out past me, and after a glance at her grandmother, who glowered at me, I followed. I didn’t dare say anything until we got onto the highway, at least a half hour later. "What was all that about?"

Takara shifted in her seat, restless and irritated. "She didn’t like the fact that you knew about me, about her. But mostly she was complaining about how many ingredients that I used to bandage your hand, and how much these supplies," and here she gestured at the knotted plastic bag in the back seat, "cost. It’s typical."

"Ah."

We were quiet for a while. I put on some music. She curled up in her seat and went to sleep.