Kitsune in Teyvat Chapter 22 (Patreon)

After I awoke from my nap, and Shenhe finished her session of deep meditation that was apparently even better than sleeping for her. We quickly continued our journey towards Liyue City and with a couple of hours of travel we had reached the coastal city.

And once we got there I could feel Shenhe shivering in place as she held my kitsune's form in her arms so I naturally asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong... I just smelled the scent of my master's perfume, I felt the winds of her wings gracing the air. And I can hear her bird song carrying through the mountains." 

'That just tells me you have too sharp of senses to catch onto your master.' I thought with a blank expression as Shenhe sat down on the edge of one of the large cliffs behind the city of Liyue and we both just silently stared down at the city that was at its peak of a rush with how it was mid-day at this point.

We remained silent as we kept vigil over the city for a few minutes and then Shenhe spoke softly. "Ah... My master has sensed me as well. She comes now."

And even as she spoke, I could see around the markets in the port area of Liyue had a fae wind blitz upwards and then reform itself into a large crane bigger than most horses that began flying straight towards us at high speeds.

I went to shift out of Shenhe's lap as meeting her mother figure and master while sitting in Shenhe's lap would be a bit awkward.

But as I went to move, I felt Shenhe's arms tighten ever so minutely around my body before she exhaled and said with an undeniable pout even if I couldn't see her face. "No."

'What the hell do you mean no?' I thought with exasperation but it was too late. 

Cloud Retainer, the Crane Adeptus was famed for her flying speed for a good reason. As she could fly faster than the winds themselves so she reached our position all too fast leaving me stuck in Shenhe's arms.

"Master, how are you this afternoon?" Shenhe greeted her master respectfully and then I could feel the wise eyes that took in my awkward form in Shenhe's arms before Cloud Retainer looked back up to her disciple and spoke.

"Shenhe, One has been quite worried about you. One felt you leaving Liyue to go to Mondstadt... And then abruptly you were in Sumeru of all places!"

Shenhe simply nodded her head and without any stress in her voice she spoke calmly. "I was given an opportunity to slay evil and help Liyue's relationship with Sumeru greatly improve... Plus I found a great warrior I fought in Sumeru. It was quite a bit of excitement." 

The guardian of the mountain peaks looked at her disciple for a long moment before she asked bluntly. "Shenhe, why are you holding the kitsune within your arms so tightly?" 

And without a hint of fucking shame Shenhe replied. "I do not wish for him to leave my arms... His fur is warm but doesn't make me sweat, he smells most pleasantly of Sakura flower wine imported from Inazuma, and my heart feels calm when my fingers are threading through his fur." 

Cloud Retainer looked down back at me and I looked at her with my baby doll eye shiny eyes with her shivering at the heart-wrenching adorable sight. 

'Now, do I prank her and pretend to still be in my child form? Or do I be somewhat more responsible?' I mused as I warred internally at the thought of holding my tails out towards Cloud Retainer and asking her to save me.

But I was a grown Kitsune now... I was above such childish pranks.

"I am apparently her cutie now..."

Shenhe stilled for a moment before she tilted her head to the side and spoke. "No... I don't think you could be my cutie now with how you have grown. My handsome? No that doesn't fit so well. I need to ask Lisa's advice again." 

You know... I would normally be a bit weirded out with how possessive Shenhe was over me, regardless of how I was previously a child but not even a few days ago. But I actually had a bit of a realization about that.

Shenhe was an Adepti. She grew up around beings that regularly took different shapes, different animal and human forms... And with how there was even a Koi fish Adepti that had managed to seduce a human man. A literal fish, mated with a human.

Or Yanfei, whose Adepti father was literally a divine goat basically who fucked a human woman.

Her ability to see me for my 'mental maturity' was probably what she was thinking about.

Either way, all that didn't matter as Cloud Retainer placed a wing over her chest and gasped as she asked quickly. "Shenhe! Are you courting this Kitsune?" 

The Adepti Crane was all but vibrating in place as Shenhe stilled as she processed the question.

And then after a moment, Shenhe shifted me in her arms so that I was sitting in her lap and facing her and instead of outwards where Cloud Retainer was.

I met her pearlescent gaze with my own eyes and Shenhe tilted her head to the side slightly as she asked me bluntly. "Are we courting one another Kurama?" 

And I could feel in my gut that this was not at all a time to joke or pull a prank so... I thought about it long and hard. And responded honestly.

"Yes? I mean you have held me in your arms for more than a days amount of time, you followed me across most of the world, and I do like you."

I mean... Sure I hadn't developed any true love for Shenhe but I certainly liked her. So I was willing to see where this would lead.

But then I heard what sounded like hands clapping behind me and Cloud Retainer's joyous voice echoing out far and wide with magical power that I had no fucking doubt reached Liyue itself.

"Wonderful news then! One will set the wedding for One's disciple and her betrothed upon the steps of Jeuyan Karst!"

And I realized something profound. In my attempt to be serious.

I had played the greatest prank to myself.