~Tomoe X Reader: Book One~

3. Explanations

When you first opened your eyes, everything was fuzzy, and you felt weightless, as if in a dream.

You were laying on your back, unable to feel, and though you had strength over your mind, you couldn't quite move your arms or legs.

You blinked, slowly, and a face came to view, a man leaning over you.

"Ah, you're awake."

Your eyes focused on his face. His shoulder length white hair hung around it, purple-tinged eyes regarding you with cool indifference, and two white ears twitched on the top of his head.

"What exactly... Are you?" You asked weakly, and the half-fox flattened his ears, looking irritated.

He sat down next to you, and you mustered the strength to turn your head to look at him, as well as quickly look around at your surroundings.

"Why am I in a shrine?"

The half-fox lifted up one hand, bringing up a cherry-blossom patterned fan to cover his mouth.

You studied his white and red kimono, then noticed a thick white tail curled behind him, along with long, pointed nails that looked sharp enough to cut skin easily. He closed his eyes and replied in an arrogant tone.
"Alright, if you want to know, human, listen carefully, because I'm only going to explain this once."

The fox-human touched his chest with the tips of his sharp nails.

"My name is Tomoe, and I am a fox-spirit called a Yokai. I previously served as a familiar for a land god called Mikage, the man you met earlier."

The fuzzy memory of a man with circular-rimmed glasses and kind eyes flashed across your vision, and you gave a brief nod.

Tomoe continued, looking away.

"My Ex-Master found you in the World over Yonder, a type of realm with close ties to the human realm, a kind of safe-haven for monsters, demons, and Yokai alike. He, for whatever reason, transferred his role as a land God over to you, a human who had somehow wandered into such a dangerous realm and had gotten fatally wounded, then proceeded to drop your dying body onto the doorstep of this shrine."

There was a fire in Tomoe's eyes as he said this, and he seemed to be barely containing his anger.

"Even after leaving the shrine to my care for nearly twenty years, he has the nerve to do something like this!"

Tomoe scoffed in disgust and stood up.

He looked down at you, eyes narrowed.

"I used my fox-fire to seal your wound, and the shrine spirits helped a bit as well."

His violet eyes locked onto yours, and he again lifted up his fan to touch the tip to his cheek.

"You will not die," he said, then narrowed his eyes further.

"...Yet I still am not quite sure that I am pleased you aren't. A human being marked as a god should be a crime, and I refuse to serve you as your familiar."