How to Catch a Kitsune

Side Story 1: Under the Star-Spangled Banner

"Mr. President, he's here."

"Thank you. You can leave."

"Very well, sir."

The man clad in black exits the room as another man enters draped in fine silks, woolen cloth, and pitch-black slacks. In front of the man is a creature dressed in human formality, not one that is usually worn by their kind, but this is an exception for the creature that stands in the pinnacle of human society.

"Thanks for having me here, Sil. it's been a hell of a long day."

Ryan stretches his arms as he takes in the sights of the Oval Office, the United States president's workspace. Silias takes a mug, pours himself a cup of coffee and sits on his black, comfy chair.

"Haaa... No kidding. I thought it was a good idea to host a conference here in the White House about this whole Human-Deity coalition but instead, it all turned into a fucking shitshow."

Silias says as he takes a long sip of his steaming hot coffee. Ryan reaches for a chair nearby and seats himself in front of the office's desk. The sunset outside fades as the dark of the night takes over.

"Oh, so it's night? I thought it was day."

"Yeah, I thought it was day, too."

"The conference ended in the afternoon, did you idiots forget?"

"Shh-shh-shh.  Quiet."

"Ah shit, forgot to turn the lights on."

Silias angrily scratches his head. The darkness outside invaded the office through the windows, thus covering the entire office in a pale-blue shade.

"It's fine, the moon is out so it isn't that dark."

Ryan says as he slouches down on his chair.

"Grrrr... Of all things, why does China have to ruin my day? Mother. Fucking. China."

"That's taking it a bit too far, don't you think?"

"Don't worry, it's fine."

"Can't blame them," Ryan said. "Being a country with over a billion people as its residents, it isn't exactly fair to them that a small country like the Philippines is able to monopolize over all the resources that you have to offer."

"If they listened, then they would have known that rights to the resources are entirely dependent on the decision of their respective pantheons, whether or not they decide to engage in the exchange of goods. I only added the added clause that each pantheon is the only one allowed to reside over their own resources and China suddenly goes apeshit."

Silias slams the mug onto the desk as the contents spill over, staining the desk a darker brown. 

"Well, that's just how the CCP wants to operate. They want total control over whatever they can reach and use that for their own interests."

Ryan gets out of his slouch and sits properly. 

"Like the whole 'Belonging to China since Ancient Times' bulllshit that they keep pushing on your damn islands?" 

Silias answers in a very sarcastic manner, but both of them know that this is a serious subject.

Ryan tries to joke about the subject in an attempt to brighten Silias' mood.