Chapter Text
As humans evolved throughout the years, animals evolved with them. Animals gained knowledge and strength, skills and abnormality. And once they died, it all remained within them; changing them into youkai.
While the humans were skeptical about living with youkai, with every horror story and myth on the internet. The youkai managed to help ease the tension with a treaty, giving the youkai kind stricter rules to help ensure safety for everyone.
However that wasn't enough, wars between human and youkai had still remained throughout the world. So they added another rule..
At the middle of the summer season, when the Born Blessings festival commences. The humans will write down their wish on a strip of paper, hoping for blessings like fortune, beauty, healthlyness, accompany, quickness, growth.
Then, when they fall asleep, the youkai have to fulfill that wish. This will happen yearly and those that refuse to help others fulfill a wish or fulfill someone's wish by themself will be tasked with a occupation in need of employees, as well as they'll be exempt from pay for half the year.
As this rule was added, the two kinds could live together in peace. Evolving together without fear, the rule helped teach youkai more about humans and humans got along with them, appreciating them.
Although, some youkai were confident, believing to be better than humans and refusing to fulfill wishes or suffer the consequence. While the youkai part of the government just said to wait for them to warm up, they never did.
Human kind's leaders took it into their own hands, paying a bounty hunter to eliminate those who didn't comply with co-living. If any human or youkai purposely harmed or harassed the other kind just because they weren't the same, the bounty hunter would seek them and eliminate them.
Remaining untouched by the law with the government as their alibi, no matter how much blood was on their hands..They were never in the wrong.
[Present day - Night of the Born Blessings festival]
Osoroshi was sitting on his bed, writing his wish on a strip of paper with a pen . He was slightly tall and slender, pale skun, straight dark brown hair with bangs that barely covered his eyes, half-lidded eyes with yellow irises. slightly crooked upper teeth.
He lived alone in a small apartment and worked as a secretary for a CEO of a perfume company, he didn't talk to people much and when he did it was online.
He finished writing the desired blessing and folded the piece of paper in half, setting it on the ledge of his window. Osoroshi then placed his pen and glasses on his bedside table, he glanced at the note one last time with a cold expression as the moonlight seeped through the window, highlighting his face.
"Eh, how lame" He mumbled and laid in bed, resting his head against the fluffy pillows and burrowing himself in blankets; leaving his eyes peeking out. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, under the warmth of the covers.
While Osoroshi slept, the window above his bed was opened.. The wind to seeped in, lifting the piece of paper on the ledge and gently helping it escape. The paper drifted through the wind, unfolding to reveal slightly messy handwriting..
Everlasting Accompany.
A sharp gaze landed on the writing, watching it as the paper landed onto the roof of the apartment building. A youkai standing on the same roof stepped forward, making a clank noise with their shoes. Their tail flicking the paper up so the youkai could hold it and inspect it further.
The youkai smirked and their tails started to wag slowly, they folded the piece of paper between their long slender fingers.
"Poor human, so lonely that they have to resort to wasting a wish on such things. Truly a shame~"They spoke in a teasing tone as they brought the paper to their mouth, their long nails brushing against their lips.
"Your wish is mine to fufill."
They gently licked a corner of the paper before pressing it on their tongue, causing it to disintegrate and leave a symbol of a praying human, soul-bounding them to Osoroshi.
[Present day - Morning after Born Blessings festival, the day to present gratefulness to youkai.]
The roads are taking a break from morning traffic ,as today is an off-day for most citizens. Chatter can be heard amongst the streets as thanks are being gifted to youkai.
All was well, with an old lady thanking a bull looking man directing cars, A tall man providing shade for a little bat girl, and tomboyish teens teaching human-ish eels how to skate.
Sunlight bled through the windows of Osoroshi's bedroom and birds sung happily outside of the apartment, waking him up. The man lazily opened his half-lidded eyes and sat up against the pillows, he stretched his arms up as he peeked through the window.
"Not even noticing me? How cruel of you~ and I spent all that time watching you sleep, can't you spare some attention for me?"
Osoroshi immediately froze as he heard a voice, he turned his head to see someone laying next to him. He moved to a corner of the bed, suspicious of the stranger in his bed.
"Who are you- w-why are you in my bed??"
"Hm? Are pets not supposed to watch their owners sleep?"
This confused him further, "P-pet? What are you on about?"
Osoroshi didn't have his glasses on but could make out sone details of the stranger as he squinted, they had long purple hair, fox ears and 5 fluffy looking tails, and a loose robe on.
"Seems like my dear master is confused, hm? Let me introduce myself darling~"
The fox like stranger gently put Osoroshi's glasses onto his face and sat on their knees, facing him, they slowly took his hand and massaged the palm of it.
"I'm your personal kitsune youkai, Shukufuku. Last night you wished for a companion, so I'll be your loyal pet forever."
"O-oh, I see..but umm I was hoping for an actual pet. Not a person as a pet, that just serms odd."
"Then shall I be a roommate? A friend? Perhaps your dear lover~?"
"N-no, I guess 'pet' will do .. Why couldn't you just um gave me like a dog or something?"
"Well us youkai can't force animals to do things,so we can't force them to be your pet. It's one of the many rules we abide by, and what's wrong with me as a companion? If you're worried about wanting someone to cuddle with, I'd be delighted to fill the role my dear~"
Shukufuku brought Osoroshi's hand to their face and nuzzled into it, startling him.
"No thanks, that's unnecessary. I umm, just prefer to be alone."
He tried pulling his hand away but the fox was insistant on not letting go, they chuckled and leaned closer to Osoroshi. "Hm~ Well my darling master, we're soul bound. So as long as you're alive, I will be your companion."
"sigh Slight problem, where are you gonna sleep? My apartment only has one bedroom."
Shukufuku moved Osoroshi's hand to caress their face, and moved closer to him. "How about I sleep with you? Wouldn't you love it if I cuddled you to sleep~?"
"I'm not so fond of sleeping around with a stranger- Wait, don't you have a animal form?"
...
"Master, what have I done to have to sleep on such a thing?"
Shukufuku stared at Osoroshi as he had patted a big dog bed in the corner of his room, their distain clearly shown.
"Come on, just transform. It's softer than it looks, you're lucky you have the ability to fit in these comfy beds."
A puff of smoke appeared, making Osoroshi cough. He saw a kitsune step out of the puff and into the dog bed, it hesitantly curled up and laid down on it. Sighing when they saw Osoroshi smile at their obedience, the bed was soft but the idea of sleeping in it was shameful.
"You'll be sleeping in that every night, quite the lucky fox you are! I suppose I'll have to get you food bowls too?"
Shukufuku returned back to their normal form with a puff of smoke, they were laying halfway on the dogbed and propped their face with their hand. "You're incredibly cruel Master, I beg of you to not."
They were upset, but masked it with a smirk. Shukufuku sat up and hugged Osoroshi's waist. They nuzzled into his side and looked up at him with sad eyes. "Darlinggg~ May I please sleep with you?? It's shameful to treat me so cruelly, don't tell me you're into degrading~"
Osoroshi had moved away from the fox's grasp and stood up, avoiding eye contact. "Sleeping with another alive being in my room is already nerving enough, I don't think sleeping in the same bed as you will just make me go into panic mode."
He saw Shukufuku's overreacted depressed faced and he frantically waved his hands.
"It's nothing personal, I just get scared easily"
The fox stood up and took Osoroshi's hand in theirs, gently intertwining fingers with him. They smirked and put tiny licks on his knuckles. "Don't stress ,dear human. I will take care of you from now on..you have nothing to be scared about."
"That sounds nice but I don't wanna trouble you, I mean living with me isn't the ideal life style." He tried to pull away his hand but the youkai had a strong grip, "I mean I'm nothing special so there's no need to stay..or lick my hand"
"I beg to differ.." Shukufuku quickly hugging Osoroshi from behind, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.
"Let me be your pet, I can stay in my fox form. Just let me be yours."Shukufuku whispered into his ear .
"Nah, I'm more of a dog person than a fox person" Osoroshi turned his head away, making Shukufuku release him with a sly smirk. They started to inspect the room, taking note of the anime figures, books, decor, color choice ,and layout. Osoroshi had stood around, watching how the fox darted their eyes from one thing to another, feeling judged.
"Humans have quite the odd interests, especially you. You're very specific about certain things. You positioned the furniture in this way to make the room smaller, you have three blankets on your bed; all different in softness and weight."
"I can't tell if it's creepy or caring of you to know those details."
"Well as your personal youkai, I should know a lot about you, shouldn't I?" Shukufuku skimmed through the manga Osoroshi read and then waved it in front of him."reading BL? How scandalous. You'd think that after having many series of people being intimate, you wouldn't blush from the thought of cuddling someone. Hm?"