Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another all-nighter was interrupted by the sun peeking over the horizon. When Tails noticed the rays creeping in through his window, he quickly extinguished his candles. They were down to nubs from his usual habits and he wasn’t looking forward to going into town to replenish his supply. Not that the trip itself was unpleasant, but he was just so busy! He didn’t want to think about wasting time on a supply run when he was so close to finishing an invention. He didn’t even give his body time to be bothered by a lack of sleep, which it certainly should be at this point. No, the only thing that mattered right now was getting the last finishing touches and… There!

“Would you look at that,” Tails marveled at the expertly crafted horse bridle.

No, he wasn’t a saddler- this was no ordinary bridle. One with a trained eye would see the intricate threads woven into the leather. A mixture of chimera fur and stinging nettle fibers- both conductors of magic. By stitching it in a certain pattern and focusing diligently on the intent he wanted to imbue the object with, Tails had created an enchanted bridle with a very specific use. The usual guidance the item would give over an ordinary horse was magically amplified so that the wearer was under absolute control of the enchanter. Or, something like that. Mobian magic was still in its infancy, so there were no guidelines, no “recipes” to ensure exact results. Tails was entirely self taught, having found a knack for it ever since he could remember.

Unlike fae creatures that could wield magic as naturally and easily as one could breathe, a mobian’s process of harnessing magic was tedious and complicated. They couldn’t just wave a hand and say an incantation with immediate results, like throwing a fireball or making plants grow instantaneously. No, the mobian type of magic required a great deal of preparation, tools, magically conductive substances, and a disciplined mind. It required a deep, complex understanding of the very makeup of things. And… Well, it was actually quite boring in practice. The easiest way Tails could explain it to a layman was “sitting around and thinking really hard” for hours on end. At least for the crafting and enchanting part of it. There was more to it of course, but it was hard to understand, much less describe to someone else.

“It’s like a physical action, but at the same time it’s almost like… A feeling,” Tails muttered to himself.

“Feeling like I’m bored outta my mind, more like!”

Tails jumped out of his fur at the sudden loud voice. A very particular voice with an implacable accent and way too much energy behind it. The voice of the bane of his workshop: a sneaky little gremlin.

Tails sighed, “How did you get in this time, Marine?”

“Why, just wandered right in like usual! How do you mean? Didja try keeping me out with your fancypants strings and whatnot again?”

“Mmm, ‘try’ being the key word there…” Tails furrowed his eyebrows in exasperation. No matter what repelling charms and spells he used, the little raccoon-looking gremlin somehow managed to get back in his workshop eventually. And neither of them seemed to know how. Perhaps Tails’ inventions were just so top notch that the deep-seated urge to be within the rare technology outmatched anything he could throw out to defend it. Because apparently gremlins just need to invade machines; needed it like the cat that couldn’t be kept out of the catnip patch. And just like the cat, the gremlin would rub all over, smash into, and eventually break the thing of their fancy. Something Marine was presently trying to do, despite Tails standing right there!

“Uh-uh, nope! Not today,” Tails marched over and grabbed her wrist to stop her from banging on his music maker. He promptly slapped a ward right smack in the middle of her forehead.

“Oi! That hurts, you git!” Marine cringed as the slip of parchment’s repulsory magic stung her.

“Well what did you expect? Marching in right in front of me and trying to make a mess of things? It’s no wonder that people don’t think fae have brains more complex than a mouse!”

“Ow, owww!” Marine grabbed for the ward, but quickly drew her hand away as if it burned. “Didja have to go with one so hot- ow, ow! It’s no wonder fae don’t see mobians as people- so cruel, the lot of you! I don’t get mad at you for doing what you need to live! Imagine it, me coming along and slapping your porridge to the floor when you were just trying to eat. Mean, mean! OWWW!”

“A completely flawed comparison. There is no reason you need to come in here and wreck my inventions. It doesn’t provide nourishment. How could it possibly do anything for you other than further your own amusement? It can’t! It makes no sense!”

Marine was jumping back and forth like she was on hot coals by this point, making little squeaks of pain.

“Good Gaia, would you leave? Once you’re a certain distance from my workshop, the effects will wane and you’ll be fine. You’re only hurting yourself right now.”

“Rrrrgh, how far?” Marine continued jumping around, now pulling on her ears in an attempt to distract herself from the pain.

“Go find out!” Tails made a grand sweeping motion towards the door. “Go! Shoo! Begone!”

“A mad mobian you are, so awful to me always!” Marine yelled with tear-stained eyes as she flung open the door. A second later it was slammed and she was gone.

“Gaia is testing me…” Tails groaned as he buried his head in his hands. He certainly put on a good show of irritation outwardly, but on the inside there was a gnawing. A gnawing of good old fashioned guilt for having hit her with such harsh treatment. She was fae, sure, but boy did those tears get to him. Her anguished cries were nearly enough to convince him that fae were real people, with actual emotions and the ability to feel pain. Gremlins had the gift of mobian speech, too, which further added to the illusion of personhood. And, though he knew it wasn’t true, he couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“But they’re not mobians… They’re not even animals. Fae only operate on the most basic instincts; they only exist to cause harm and inconvenience to others. Sometimes even themselves… It’s a kindness to keep them in check.”

Tails tidied up the mess she made while he recited the mantra he had heard so many times before. From his parents, from his grandparents, from nary every mobian he ever met. The wisdom that had been passed down since fae had come into being, the wisdom that allowed him and mobiankind to be able to do what needed to be done to deal with such pests.

“Anyway!” Tails continued, as if he was talking to someone else in the room. A habit he formed from being alone so often. “Back to the task at hand. Time to put this thing to use and make Willow Lake safe once and for all!”

He snatched up the bridle, this time quickly heading for the door. He didn’t waste any more time marveling at it. Just in case Marine was craftier than usual and managed to remove the ward sooner than he predicted. He had an important mission to get done before then! The town’s lake had been plagued by a kelpie for years- a bloodthirsty beast that had been the cause of countless deaths. After hearing the tales of woe from its victims’ families for so long, Tails finally came up with a solution for defeating the awful creature. He was going to use his enchanted bridle to subdue and tame the thing, rendering it harmless. In theory.

The mobian fox locked up his workshop as he left (not that it helped with anything other than keeping fellow mobians out) and set out along the edge of the forest. It was a nice, meandering path to Willow Lake this way. Going straight through the forest would save time, but it wasn’t worth the risk. There was an ent living in there that was violently intolerant to “invaders.” And he wasn’t equipped to take on such an adversary just yet.

“That’ll be my next task after I solve this one,” Tails couldn’t help but retrace his fingers over the magic stitching as he walked. He was checking and rechecking his work.

He had a great deal of confidence in his skills most days, but this wasn’t something to be smug over. If he got it wrong- if just one stitch was out of line or his mind slipped for even a second while routing the enchantment as intended… Well, he would probably die.

Tails stopped marching for a second and fully let that sink in. He would probably die. Almost certainly, actually. The creature he was aiming to defeat with this magical item was no joke. The kelpie could easily overpower him and then he’d be dragged to the depths of the lake and torn apart piece by piece… A very grisly way to go. Tails shuddered, but willed himself to continue on his way.

“I-It will work!” He reassured himself. “I’ve spent so long crafting it just so- put in failsafe behind failsafe in case the main enchantment malfunctions… I have nothing to fear!”

He neared the edge of the lake to stare down into its depths. The face of an absolutely terrified fox stared back up at him. There was no fooling a reflection, unfortunately. He sucked in a long breath and held it there, attempting to get a hold of himself. He didn’t want the creature to think something was amiss because he was a shaking mess of fearful emotion. He needed to trick it; make it think he was an unsuspecting fool that it could easily prey upon.

‘Just concentrate on the magic… Believe in your work…! Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear.’

His ears stood attention when he heard the slightest disturbance in the water: a brief little swoosh. He backed away from the edge a few paces. Standing right next to it was probably the dumbest idea ever, now that Tails thought about it. Moments later, he became attuned to a new sound: a rustling in the reeds by the shore. Slow, continuous shuffling as something drew near.

Then it emerged- he emerged. A gorgeous, doe-eyed stallion nonchalantly meandering near the shoreline. Unafraid of being devoured, apparently. Tails shook his head- it must have fallen prey to the kelpie’s charms just like a mobian. The kelpie could appear in the form of a gorgeous mare to trick someone into wanting to ride on its back. And if they did, they’d be stuck to the kelpie’s strange, tacky skin and be unable to escape while it submerged into the depths of the lake. And then they wouldn’t even get the courtesy of death by drowning- instead swiftly becoming the beast’s next meal. It never occurred to Tails that the enticing form might attract an actual horse.

Tails tsk’d as he approached the poor, innocent creature. It backed up slightly, looking a bit wary of his proximity.

“Easy there, boy,” Tails spoke softly to reassure the animal. “I just want to get you away from this water. I wouldn’t want such a beautiful creature to suffer a cruel fate.”

And it really was quite beautiful: a deep blue, shimmering coat. Very sturdy and healthy looking. He even had a charming white splotch on his forehead, just like Black Beauty. Tails smiled softly and slowly extended a hand towards the horse in hopes not to frighten it. A startled horse wouldn’t be a whole lot better than the kelpie, seeing that all it took was one unlucky kick to crack a man’s skull. And this was a male, more prone to aggression. But Tails was confident when it came to animals. There was an inherent innocence to them, a sweetness. And they had an intelligence all their own- something that allowed them to pick up his peaceful intentions even with no language between them. He liked animals and they liked him. They didn’t make him nervous like other mobians did.

He smiled, feeling validated when the horse seemed to calm. It lowered its muzzle and leaned towards him slightly.

“That’s it, good boy,” Tails touched that velvety nose ever so slightly, then went in for a little pat on the neck. “That’s nice, right? Heh… You’re so lovely, I kind of want to use this to take you home instead.”

He was being facetious, of course. But for some reason, when he actually touched the horse’s muzzle, he started to feel so relaxed and at ease. And thus, he found himself tacking the bridle onto this random horse. It was being so docile at this point that he did it with ease. He reasoned that finding such a well-mannered beast of burden in the wild was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It’s not like the kelpie was going anywhere; he could come back for it later. And besides, this could be a test run of sorts. Sure, the enchantment wouldn’t do anything against an ordinary animal, but uh… Well, he knew it fit well on a horse now…? Not that he didn’t already know that from his measurements, but-

“Oh, hey. Where are you going there, buddy?”

After being such a sweetie, the horse suddenly started backing off again. Tails went with it, keeping a hand gently lying on its neck. He didn’t want it to run off with his enchantment after all. The horse’s movements weren’t erratic- they were still calm and slow as it began backing closer and closer to the lake.

“Come on now, you don’t want to go in there,” Tails made to move his hand back up to the bridle, to grab it and gently redirect the horse. But he found that his hand was stuck. Stuck on the neck of the horse; stuck to its skin beneath its short fur. Despite everything he knew, Tails was simply confused.

“That doesn’t make sense…” He said in an almost dreamlike voice. The horse was in the water now, his own feet rhythmically trailing after it and becoming submerged. And Tails noticed something about those eyes- a moment ago solid black and normal, but now tinged ever so slightly with a fuschia glow.

Splash!

He stumbled forward suddenly, splashing water up onto his face. As if coming out of a trance, he realized his legs were halfway submerged by now. It was then that he noticed the seaweed embedded in the horse’s mane. And- were those canines jutting out of its maw all of the sudden?

“No, no no!!!” Tails shouted and wrenched his hand, but it stayed fast. The kelpie jerked him forward, making more of his body come into contact with its sticky fur. It was too late- he couldn’t even cut off his hand in a last ditch effort to escape now. His only chance was if his invention worked. Right before his head was submerged, he yelled, “STOP!”

And the kelpie stopped.

“Get- Get out of the water! Go back to shore!”

The kelpie immediately complied, almost robotic in nature.

“Let me go!”

He fell to the ground as his body instantly unstuck from the creature’s strange skin.

“It… It worked…?” Tails stared up at the creature. It was staring back with an unreadable expression.

“It worked!” Tails leapt up excitedly. “Come away from the water. Yes, that’s it- fully on land. Now be still.”

His eyes sparkled with fascination as he witnessed his invention work fully as intended. But was it really? Could this possibly be a ruse of some sort?

“Hmm, but why would it bother playing along? It’s not a pooka, not prone to silly pranks… How would I truly test the efficacy…?”

He studied the creature for a moment. It just stood there like a statue, presumably from the “be still” command. A small grin crossed his features. Thoughts of pookas and their mischief gave him a silly idea.

“Alright, now… Sit! Roll over! Pffhaha!” Tails couldn’t help but laugh perhaps a bit too heartily at the sight of the majestic horse rolling around like a trained dog. He composed himself after a moment. “Apologies, I believe I’m still coming down from the rush of adrenaline… You know, from nearly being killed. By you. Hence I shouldn’t apologize at all!”

Tails puffed up indignantly. Only he would start apologizing to a creature that just tried to murder him. He didn’t need to be so polite- in fact, he probably ought to be a little rude. On purpose! He tried to think of some other way to tease the kelpie when he caught sight of a cranberry plant. He plucked a sizeable one and balanced it on the kelpie’s muzzle, between its nostrils.

“Okay now wait. Wait. Wait…” He paused for dramatic effect, “Okay, you can eat it!”

The kelpie didn’t perform the trick in as entertaining a way as a dog might (namely because it had no desire for the “treat” on its nose), but it was still amusing. The creature’s ears were firmly pinned back as it stared a hole in him, chewing irritably on the unwanted berry. If it didn’t want to kill him before (which clearly it had made an attempt), it most definitely did now. The enchantment had to be solid.

“Alright, alright, enough of this. Let’s be on our way now.”

Tails briefly considered riding the creature back, but the fresh terror of nearly being dragged to his death prevented him from keeping it in mind for more than a few seconds. The bridle clearly worked just fine, but… Well, the beast was still frightening despite its forced docility. He opted to walk alongside it instead.

Once back at his workshop, Tails was unsure of what to do with the kelpie just yet. It was under his control, but… Now what? He let out an enormous yawn as days of near-sleepless nights finally caught up to him. It may have been nine in the morning, but his body didn’t care. It was so done with his abuse and wouldn’t let him stay awake a moment longer.

“Oh, goodness, I’ve got to lie down…” He eyed the kelpie. “Um. You stay out here. Do not disturb any of my machines. You may sleep in the hayloft if you wish.”

Although he preferred to refer to it as his workshop, the place really was just a slightly repurposed barn when it came down to it. Hay and all. He had often passed out in a pile of the stuff himself before he had the good sense to tack on a little lean-to with a spare bed for that very purpose. And that’s where he was face-planting right now. Perhaps he should have been more careful about the state he left the homicidal creature in; being that all that separated him from it was a flimsy door. But with his task finally complete, exhaustion clouded out any of his usual sensibilities. The second his head touched linen, he was fast asleep.

~

Tails shuffled back into his workshop, not yet fully awake. He slept like a rock, actually getting a pretty full night’s rest. Well, other than the fact that he slept through the middle of the day. Either way, he was feeling pretty good other than the usual grogginess. He glanced over his workbench, calendar, and the bits of scrap Marine had made a mess of yesterday- er, this morning? He was a bit hazy on what day it was, so his eyes bounced back over to the calendar. He did a double take, slamming his hands on the table in disbelief.

“Friday!? No, it couldn’t be-” He tapped his fingers on the days he had forgotten to cross out, and it added up correctly. “It really is Friday! Oh no- what time is it-? That late already? Ugh! Maybe I can make some excuse not to go tonight…?”

Tonight, of course, was the gala. A huge gathering where mobians from far and wide would congregate: a reunion of family, friends, and other long distance relationships that didn’t often get to see each other. It was one of those infrequent fancy events. A great chance for people to catch up and be merry, but also a great excuse to show off domestic progress. There was always a big hubbub about new marriages, children, wealth, and other foofaraw. A grand time for most, but not Tails.

Ever since he came of age, there was great pressure on him to marry and start his own family. It was a relief to live on his own already and not have his parents constantly breathing down his neck about it, but… Well, all of the pressure came back tenfold at this stressful event. All of his siblings- even the youngest below him- were either already married or being courted. He was the odd one out, the one that shrank away from all the arrangements his parents tried to set up for him. It just wasn’t something he wanted to pursue; he’d much rather spend all of his time on his magical endeavors. But his parents didn’t really understand his work, or his unusual lifestyle. They worried that he would become a social outcast, a hermit with no support system that would wither away in misery. They didn’t understand that he liked to be alone. Or at the very least, they simply couldn’t accept it. And thus, there was always the overbearing, looming expectation- the hope that he was at least courting someone. But alas, he just… Didn’t want to… And, once again, he would be facing his parents as a single man. Once again, he would be a disappointment.

He flipped his tails around in agitation and bit on the tips of his fingers. As much as he wanted to skip out on the event, it would be worse not to attend at all. At first his absence would cause worry, then insult, then anger, and- inevitably- disappointment. No excuse would be good enough not to attend tonight and he knew it. His parents would have his head.

“The kelpie!” Tails suddenly recalled the other creature that definitely wanted his head. A rush of endorphins had him fly up into the loft in an instant. What if the spell only worked while Tails was conscious? What a stupid oversight! But surely it would have killed him in his sleep before running off if that was the case?

“Kelpie! Are you here? Show yourself!”

A snout peeked out from behind some hay bales. It was followed by, uh… Not what Tails remembered capturing this morning. It was no longer a horse, but instead a bestial-looking mobian. No, not a mobian- just mobian-shaped. Kelpies were shifters after all. Just like it had made itself less appealing after it snared him, it kept the same ugly features with its new shape. Overall, a mostly a fox-like mobian, but there was no doubt it was a kelpie. It had a wild and tangled mane of hair, reaching well past its shoulders and tangled with seaweed and debris. It almost looked wet; he could have sworn the whole creature’s body was dripping, but it was just some sort of illusion. Its long ears were flush with its moppy hair, drooping with that same wet and heavy look. Its magenta eyes glowed with a threatening aura. Worse of all, it kept the elongated snout; almost crocodilian with protruding teeth along the jawline.

Tails clutched a hand to his chest, still worried that somehow the beast had escaped his charms. After all, the bridle was nowhere to be seen! But- wait. The creature was now wearing a necklace that appeared to be made from the same materials as the bridle. Could it be…?

“Come here,” Tails commanded, trying to sound confident. It didn’t matter whether or not he was- the charm should work regardless. But even so, he didn’t want to appear weak before this beast.

The kelpie obeyed, coming to stand before him. Now possessing a mobian face, the hateful glare it pierced him with was all the more apparent.

“Oh, stop that. I’m not the one that drowned and killed countless people. You had to be stopped. You should be glad that I’m merciful enough to spare your life. Why don’t you put a more pleasant look on your face?”

The scowl turned neutral and the glow vanished from its eyes. It looked a little bit better. Tails sighed.

“Goodness, you still look quite awful,” he wandered over to the tack on the wall and removed a horse brush. He intended to brush out that tangled mess of a mane, but paused.

“Wait a moment. You’re a shifter, aren’t you? Can you not just make yourself look more presentable?”

“Yes.”

Tails blinked a few times in surprise. He was completely caught off guard by the croaky voice that escaped the kelpie’s mouth. He wasn’t aware that they could speak. But this was no time to look shocked and intimidated. He cleared his throat and drew himself up to size.

“Well then, please make yourself look handsomely groomed. And a touch less beastly,” Tails tapped the tip of the kelpie’s snout. “This doesn’t look like any mammalian mobian I’ve ever seen.”

The kelpie did as it was told. Right before his eyes, the wild mane snaked itself back into a neat ponytail. Any untamed bangs were magically combed evenly to the sides to give a nice view of his face. His snout became less pronounced and no longer sported protruding teeth- it looked much more foxlike. Just like the horse he first met by the lake, this fellow actually looked quite charming. The cute teardrop-shaped splotch on his forehead was still cute in mobian form.

“Ah… Yes, you look. Very nice. Thank you,” Tails cleared his throat. It was unsettling how quickly the monster was able to transform into quite the disarming looking gentleman. Even his eyes were deceptively soft and kind-looking, almost diminutive. It struck a chord with something in Tails’ heart, making him feel empathy for a few heartbeats. But then he shook it off.

“Oh…” Tails murmured when a thought struck him. A devilish grin spread across his face and he suddenly sounded much more jovial, “Ohoho, I know just what to do with you!”

Tails was all but cackling as he wandered out of the kelpie’s sight. It would have been quite ominous, borderline villainous, if it weren’t for how dorky that laugh sounded. The kelpie could only stand there in perturbed silence as it waited to see what this maniacal mobian had in store for him.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long. Tails came back shortly; this time looking more groomed himself. His wild scruffy fur was now tamed and flattened, although it still showed signs of wanting to spring back into chaos. He clearly didn’t put a brush to his fur very often. His drab and stained work clothes were replaced with a much cleaner, smarter looking fit. Nothing particularly fancy, but definitely much cleaner. More crisp. Even his attitude seemed to have been “cleaned up” a bit- the way he glided back into the room had an air of frou-frou to his movements. He made an elegant, sweeping gesture in the kelpie’s direction.

“You, fair creature, will be accompanying me to the gala tonight! As my date~!”

The fox boy stood akimbo with his chest puffed out. He looked way too confident for someone that just said perhaps the stupidest thing the kelpie had ever heard. Nevertheless, he succeeded in making the kelpie worry.

Chapter Text

“Creature, what is your name?” Tails couldn’t help but grin as he asked, still riding the high of his brilliant idea.

He tilted his head quizzically when the kelpie didn’t respond. It occurred to him that some fae creatures kept their true names a tightly guarded secret. Supposedly there was power in the name itself, and when known by another they could wield it against them. He heard that some could even be directly controlled by the name alone. If this were true to kelpies, Tails would more than welcome this redundancy on top of the bridle’s control.

“You will respond truthfully when I ask you a direct question,” Tails commanded after an extended silence.

“My name. Is Kitsunami,” the kelpie all but spat. The strained look on its face was enough to indicate that it was not at all fond of being forced to share this information.

“I see…” Tails replied. This was certainly useful if the control thing was true, but not so much for presenting him as a date to his parents. Kitsunami? It was much too obviously fae-sounding. But luckily, it could easily be shortened to something more mobian. “While in the company of others, I will refer to you as Kit. If asked for your name, give them this one.”

“Very well,” Kit replied through gritted teeth.

“Oh and: You will address me as Tails!” He said proudly.

There was something so empowering about demanding that someone call him by his chosen name. While living with his parents, he was often introduced to others using his other name. He made weak protests to get his parents to call him Tails, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Eventually, he gave up, and was sadly too much of a pushover to correct anyone he’d been introduced to with the wrong name. Things were different now that he lived on his own. It was always great to start the record off straight- “I’m Tails!” and it never felt better than it did just now. As silly as it might seem to be happy that a beastly fae, of all things, knew how to address him properly.

“Although, you should refrain from speaking much. Hmm… Actually, I think you should remain silent, just to avoid any kerfuffle. I’ll simply say you are… Deathly shy! Yes, that should work.”

Tails talked to himself in front of the kelpie. The kelpie had no choice but to listen to his stupidity.

“So, kelpie- Kit- I am going to present you with the rules for tonight. You will not speak to anyone. You may reply nonverbally with nods and shakes only. Keep as pleasant an expression as is appropriate and try to match the social situations around you. That means no scowling, growling, or being rude! Nod along with conversations, give a polite laugh if everyone else is, and so on. I’m going to sell your performance as being shy, so you may lean into that portrayal. Do not make any allusions to your true nature as a beast. Just stay by my side and try not call too much attention to yourself. Quiet and calm.”

“Eh… Very well…?” Kit’s expression was strained. Whether it was from held back anger, too many instructions at once, or something else, Tails wasn’t sure. But the kelpie didn’t need to consciously memorize the commands for them to take effect. It would be fine. His performance just had to be good enough to get through one evening.

“Good, good. Now. Are you able to shift clothing into your appearance?”

“I cannot. Not in a way that would look natural.”

“Oh… That does pose a bit of a quandary,” Tails grimaced and brought a hand to his chin. “But I have an idea!”

~

Tails rapped on the door of the lovely cottage and placed his hands behind his back while he awaited a response.

The door opened quite promptly and he was greeted with the warm smile of a rabbit girl about his age. “Tails! I wasn’t expecting to see you until this evening; what a lovely surprise.”

“Hello, Cream. I’m terribly sorry to burst in like this, but I’m in a bit of a pickle and could really use your help. I, ahem, feel very rude for asking, especially on such short notice-”

“Do not burden yourself with such worries,” Cream stepped forward and clasped his worrying hands with her own. “You know I’m always happy to help. What do you need?”

“Ah, of course. Apologies for fretting,” Tails’ fraying nerves were instantly quelled by her warm gesture and he visibly relaxed. He proceeded to clear his throat as he gathered up the gumption to continue. “Cream, I- ah… I am courting someone-”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Cream’s face lit up with delight. She hurriedly put a hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed for her rude cute interruption. “Pardon me, please continue.”

“Ahaha, yes, thank you,” Tails couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “I am courting someone. However, he doesn’t have anything to wear to the gala and, well. I was hoping, since your brother is abroad, if my dearest could borrow his dress clothes for the evening?”

“Goodness Tails, you were certainly truthful about the short notice!”

“I know. I’m sorry. It was a last minute decision for him to attend, truly.”

“You need not explain, I am simply surprised,” Cream waved her hand, “Of course your beloved can use Al’s dress clothes. However, I must ask that you make haste. Mother and I were just about to depart.”

“Oh, of course! Thank you so much!”

Cream giggled airily and simply nodded. “Well?” She looked around, “Won’t this beloved of your need to come in to get dressed? Where is he?”

“OH! O-Of course!” Tails blushed and put a hand behind his head bashfully. “I’ll be right back!”

He dashed off to collect his “beloved,” who he so charmingly left to hide in the nearby bushes like a robber in ambush. Truthfully, he had hoped to just get the clothes themselves and have Kit change back at his house. But in his haste and embarrassment, he complied with Cream’s suggestion. He felt too foolish to turn around and say, “Well actually, I’ll just take those clothes.” That would be so rude. Luckily, he had the foresight to have Kit throw on his extra work clothes for the walk over. This plan would have been dead in the water if he quite literally didn’t have anything to wear. He’d sooner perish than present Cream with an inexplicably naked man to clothe.

Tails quickly reminded Kit of the rules he established earlier (mostly out of nervousness- it’s not like the effects would wear off) and snatched his hand to drag him back over to Cream.

“Here we are!” Tails released him so he could present the totally normal blue fennec with a little hand gesture. “Cream, I’d like you to meet Kit, my- my dearest. Kit, this is my good friend, Cream.”

“Oh, hello! It’s so lovely to meet you!” Cream took a moment to take in his appearance. “I can see why you need Al’s clothes- you’re quite the tall and handsome fellow, aren’t you, Kit?”

Kit simply nodded in reply, his eyes averted shyly despite how he loomed over the petite little rabbit.

“I apologize for my brevity, but I must ask that you get ready now. Tails, you recall where the wardrobe is?”

“Y-Yes, I’ll show him right away.”

“Thank you. I will be waiting with Mother in the carriage,” she turned to Kit. “I’ll be pleased to get acquainted with you on the way over.”

“Ah, what? You don’t have to wait for us. We were going to ride over on Tornado.”

“Don’t be absurd! You’ll have to walk all the way back to get her, and by then you will arrive so very late. There is plenty of room for you two in the carriage.”

“But-”

“And I’m sure Mother won’t accept a refusal either. You best hurry, though!” Cream walked off before Tails could argue further.

“Well, damn,” he muttered under his breath.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to travel with Cream and her mother. It was a kind gesture and they were wonderful people that he enjoyed the company of. He was more concerned about not being able to leave the gala whenever he wanted- he’d have to either wait or insist on an early departure. The latter of which he knew he wouldn’t have the gall to do. He wouldn’t want to rush them. Surely kind and sociable folk like them would want to stay as long as possible to mingle with their numerous out-of-town friends. Unlike him, who wanted to be there for as short a time as possible. But Tails was terrible at explaining himself. And he was even worse about telling people no. And so he found himself powerless to do anything other than comply. He quickly escorted Kit to the wardrobe so he could get changed. They were going to accompany the rabbits whether either of them wanted to or not.

~

The ride over was… okay. It was awkward to be sure, but Cream’s mother, Vanilla, was nothing but polite and accommodating to Kit’s perceived shyness. Tails did not fancy himself a very good liar, but he was at least able to sell that fairly well.

“Oh, very well,” Vanilla had said. “You don’t need to feel obligated to keep a conversation with us, Kit. Please just relax and enjoy the ride.”

Tails began to feel more and more guilty for deceiving them as the ride went on. Their implicit trust in him made the lie bad enough as it was. But Cream’s clear excitement for him made it even worse. He could tell how pleased she was that he “found someone” and wanted nothing more than to learn all about his “beloved.” It was one thing to use this opportunity to alleviate his parents’ worries, but another entirely to lie through his teeth to his only good friend. It was troublingly hard not to blurt out a confession to her: to cry out that he was still single and they were, in fact, in the presence of a murderous beast. The only thing that really kept his lip buttoned was not wanting to needlessly frighten them.

They passed the time with nonintrusive small talk. Both rabbits generally left Kit alone in the most polite way possible. And when Cream did ask questions pertaining to their relationship, she phrased them in an indirect way that gave Tails the opportunity to share only as much as he was comfortable with. Not that she would have been demanding even if the inquiries were more direct- she just went the extra mile to make her passiveness all the more obvious. She was very thoughtful like that. It had the added bonus of giving him more time to think of fake facts about their relationship that he’d have to be able to recall later. It could not be stated enough that he was terrible at lying.

Cream eagerly soaked up these bits of fake lore. Despite clearly wanting to know more, she redirected the conversation away from relationship talk when she noticed him starting to fumble his words. She likely assumed he was getting uncomfortable with the subject, rather than him just getting increasingly nervous from all the lies. She started talking about how nice it was that he got rid of that fairy infestation in their garden last spring. And, how was it that those wards worked again? She knew full well that he was at ease when rambling about his craft and presented the opportunity to do so on a silver platter. She truly was a wonder.

Their friendship was the one good thing that came from his parents trying to find him a spouse. They set him up with several people over the years and each encounter always ended in a disaster of incompatibility. And then they introduced him to Cream. With her there was nothing but kindness and understanding; patience and thoughtfulness. Being with her was effortless- she really cared for him, and he for her. At one point, be really did consider marrying her. If marriage was something he had to do, it would be nice to at least have a partner that he had a genuine connection with. But for that same reason, he chose not to fold to that societal whim. He had too much love and respect for Cream. She deserved someone that was going to be all-in on all aspects of the relationship, not someone who was just settling. He was comfortable enough with her to be able to explain this, and their friendship was only strengthened by it.

The ride over was more than okay. It was nice. The most worrisome exchange for the whole ride was easily glossed over even. It happened when Vanilla noticed Kit making an odd face when Tails started gripping his hand a bit too tightly.

“Kit, dear, I must ask,” She looked directly into his eyes, “Is this young man holding you hostage?”

For some Gaia-forsaken reason, Kit actually nodded in response. This of course, made Tails squeeze his hand even more tightly as his heart leapt in his throat. But thank the heavens, the older rabbit just chuckled in response.

“I see he has a sense of humor beneath his silence.”

“Oh! Yes!” Tails started laughing loudly in fear and relief. “He’s real. Funny!!! Hahaha!”

Kit smiled awkwardly as everyone joined in on the laughter, presumably following the order to pick up on other peoples’ social cues and blend in accordingly. Thank Gaia.

Shortly afterwards, the carriage was passing the first gate leading up to the mansion hosting the gala. The real challenge of the evening was upon them. But Tails was ready now. He was able to pass Kit off as a mobian to his friends, so surely he would fare just fine with everyone else? That wasn’t a fresh rush of dread passing through his body just now; he was fine. Everything would be fine.

“We’ll likely depart around midnight; is that alright with you two?” Vanilla asked as their party left the carriage and was escorted towards the front entrance.

“Oh um, yes, ma’am,” Tails replied and Kit gave a little nod in turn. That was earlier than he expected, actually.

“Very well. We’ll meet you at the gate around then if we haven’t already reconvened. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you again for the ride,” Tails gave a polite bow.

“My pleasure,” Vanilla smiled and made her way across the foyer towards the crowded ballroom.

Tails stared after her with trepidation. Well, at least he had the buffer of both his “date” and Cream to make the night a bit less scary. With that small comfort, he hesitantly followed.

Chapter Text

“Oooh!” Cream suddenly cried out with excitement. “Tails, Kit- I’m sorry to abandon you right away, but I’ve just spotted my friend from Chun-nan! This is one of the only times I get to see her! I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

“Oh, of course. Tell her I said hi?” Tails said awkwardly, only passingly familiar with Cream’s penpal.

“I will, I will! Good luck with your parents!” Cream gave him a brief hug in her giddiness, then sped off towards the orange pheasant in question with her ears flying behind her like streamers. The last thing he heard from her was a jubilant “Ciiindy~!!!” as she greeted her friend.

Tails couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing Cream so exuberant that she slipped ever so slightly in her usual pristine mannerisms was beyond charming. She must really care for this “Cindy.” Meanwhile he was stuck in the foyer with a thinly veiled monstrosity of a creature that would no doubt rather be chewing on his bones right about now. Something that Tails nearly found preferable to facing his parents. Now that it was one step closer to happening, the fear of them seeing right through his ruse hit him like a ton of bricks. Should he put off seeing them until it was nearly time to leave? Their encounter could be forced into brevity that way. He could escape using the very real excuse that his hosts were expecting him to leave. Or… Should he face them right away, just to get it over with?

He hesitantly inched his way into the main ballroom while contemplating this, not wanting to appear as awkward as he felt by lingering at the entrance. Kit kept pace just beside him in a most uncanny way. Or, maybe it was normal? Tails wasn’t used to having the undivided attention of a companion during an event like this. Other people- whether with their spouses, a friend, or a small group- were often glued to each other in a similar fashion. But what about the spacing between them? Was it too close? Did they look weird together? No, no- it was fine. They were a fine and normal couple and no one could possibly tell otherwise. He really needed to calm down.

“Kit?”

The kelpie perked to attention, but Tails didn’t continue right away. He mostly was just trying to ground himself by speaking out loud to another person. It worked well enough; his inner voice quieted down a bit. With Kit now staring at him attentively, he had a thought: “Perhaps you should be able to speak… At least very minimally. Just for greetings and introducing yourself. The absolute bare minimum. I think that might come across less strange…”

Kit gave him an inquisitive look.

“Oh, uh- take all that as an official addendum to the rules. But I mean it about the brevity! And- Don’t say I’m holding you hostage, for Gaia’s sake! What were you thinking?!”

“I was under the impression that she was speaking in jest. I was simply matching the social situation. One of your rules.”

“Really?” Tails gawked a bit in surprise. He didn’t think such a heartless creature would have the capacity to understand humor. Vanilla’s deadpan delivery of the line even went over Tails’ head in the moment. But to be fair, he was nervous and panicking; not quite in the right mindset for being receptive to jokes. “Well… Okay. I suppose you did well with that one.”

Kit did not respond to the praise other than with a blank stare. With nothing else to add, they both just stood there with their eyes locked for an abnormal amount of time. At least long enough for Tails’ brain to start worrying about tiny details again.

‘Staring contests are definitely not something couples do at public gatherings. We need to do something… Couple-y. An activity. Anything. Should I hold his hand? No, that would be too much! Let’s see. We’ll just… Get a bite to eat. Yes, that’s a good gala activity. Very normal.’

Tails made his way over to the long table of hors d’oeuvres on the far side of the hall. He wasn’t sure the last time he ate (yet another side effect of getting too immersed in a project). It would only do him good to get a little something into his stomach, even if he was feeling a bit queasy from all the nerves. His hand hovered above the various offerings before choosing a little tartlet of some sort. As soon as he took the first bite, his body said “Yeah, idiot, I was starving. Please continue!” and so he did. After a minute, he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious about his companion standing stock-still by his side while he stuffed his face.

“Are you hungry?” Tails asked sheepishly.

“Yes.”

“Oh, uh, what would you like to eat-?”

“Mobian flesh.”

“SHHHHH!” Tails waved his hand around wildly as he loudly shushed him. He placed his hand over his heart and took in a deep breath. “What else would you like to eat?” He pointedly indicated towards the spread of hors d’oeuvres with a tilt of his head.

“Mm… I have eaten the bones of mobians when nothing else was available…”

Tails was again shushing him loudly while Kit mumbled his reply in a mercifully quiet voice. Apparently the silly creature still did not realize that he was asking about the food being offered rather than his usual diet.

“I said no talking about your bestial nature in public!” Tails whispered, careful that no one was close enough to hear. “That especially includes not talking about-! Eating people!! Good lord!”

“You asked me a direct question,” Kit grimaced. “But very well.”

Tails face-palmed and sucked in another deep breath. Just a minor hiccup and no one was around to hear it. It was fine, it was fine. He just had to get through a few more hours of this. Alright, one more try:

“Can you eat anything… Not related to that? Anything available here?” Tails made an unmistakable gesture to indicate the platters of food.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Tails brought a hand to his chin and considered. “We will try some… Pork. Here.”

He held out a small kebab of skewered bits of ham and cheese. After examining the offering for a moment, Kit bent down and took the entire thing in his mouth, scraping the bits of food off the skewer before leaning back to chew. Now, Tails knew he was just a beast- an animal basically! But seeing what looked like a mobian-ass dude lean down to eat out of his hand just sent him over the edge. His cheeks turned scarlet. His mouth touched his fingers and everything!

“Ohoho, who’s this fella ya got eatin’ out of the palm of yer hand now?”

A hand smacked heartily on Tails’ shoulder, causing him to yelp in surprise (and stumble forward from the sheer force, friendly as the gesture was). He whipped around to see the grinning face of his eldest brother, Silas. He was like a taller, beefier, more handsome version of himself, sans a tail.

“What’s wrong, fox got yer tongue? Hahaha!” Silas laughed boisterously and smacked his shoulder a couple more times all the while.

Still deathly aghast from what transpired just before he appeared, Tails was not fast enough to respond before Silas instead turned his attention to Kit.

“Ahoy there! Care to introduce yourself then? I’m Silas, Miles’ brother!” He held out a hand towards him.

“…’Lo,” Kit said quietly, still chewing. “My name is Kit.” He stared inquisitively at the offered hand, not sure what to make of it. He started raising his own hand slowly in response, although he wasn’t familiar enough with mobian customs to know what should happen next.

That was fine because Silas did the extra work for him, grabbing the timid appendage and shaking it heartily. “Good t’ meet ya, Kit!”

Kit had a slightly perturbed look on his face from being grabbed so suddenly, but didn’t let himself get manhandled like Tails. He instinctually resisted at first, but then went along with the strange arm-bobbing gesture. Unlike Silas’ unrestrained movements, Kit was very careful not to apply too much force. He didn’t want to rip the man’s arm off. Well, he kind of did, but he wasn’t allowed to.

“Ohhh, you’ve got a strong grip, mate! I like that!” Silas nodded in approval before releasing him. “How long have you been seeing my little bro here?” He gave Tails an affectionate noogie.

“J-Just about a month now,” Tails finally recovered enough to inject himself back into the conversation.

“Oh, I see. Still fresh and having fun doin’ that mushy, lovey-dovey stuff! Well don’t let me stop ya! Have ya shown him off to Ma yet?”

“Er, no… You’re the first Prower we’ve run into…” Tails mumbled.

“Oh! Well ain’t that exciting! First one to see Miles’ finally got himself a guy! Oi Kit, ya want t’ meet me wife and kids?!”

Tails groaned internally. He didn’t really want to drag Kit around to each and every one of his siblings’ families. Especially not Silas. His kids were wild and rowdy as hell! Tails may have also been a bit salty that he was using the wrong name (and as usual, he was too timid to correct him). Luckily, Kit most certainly wouldn’t want to meet his family either. He could be the one to turn him down and-

“Yes.”

“Arright! C’mon then!” Silas whooped and started dragging Kit away.

‘Oh. Oh Gaia, he’s following along with social situations as I told him to. Shit!’

Tails trailed behind them helplessly over to where Silas’ wife was wrangling with their four young children. Tails wasn’t sure if they got in a food fight or if they were just that messy of eaters. Either way, he wasn’t looking forward to the kits putting their grubby little paws all over him. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but he wasn’t fond of children. They were almost like fae, in a way. Chaotic, destructive, ill-mannered… Kind of dumb, really. But the scariest thing about them was how small and fragile they were. He was always worried they might spontaneously shatter to pieces somehow and it freaked him out. One of Silas’ kids was already sitting on the floor, bawling for unknown reasons.

‘Gaia give me strength…’

The next hour was spent trapped in the company of his brother’s raucous family. Inbetween the chaos, he managed to get reacquainted with Silas’ wife, Rose, and briefly get refreshed on the little ones’ names. He and Kit didn’t get to say much, mostly just listening as the energetic couple recounted the journeys they’ve been having out at sea. All the while the three kits ran amok around them, climbed all over them, and so on. Their delight in being scooped up and flung around by Silas was insatiable. They seemed especially fond of Kit, using his tall beanpole-like body as their personal jungle gym. Kit remained fairly deadpan about it, simply plucking the children off and handing them back to either parent repeatedly.

Meanwhile their eldest son, Skye, glued himself to Tails’ side for most of the encounter. Once in a while, he’d tug on his arm and timidly try to talk to him, but it was always too loud to understand what he was saying. It made Tails feel super awkward, but he just smiled and nodded as the kid mumbled to him. That must have been the right thing to do because Skye kept smiling at him. It was… Sort of cute. How this quiet one spawned out of such a wild family, he had no idea.

“Sails! Don’t be tellin’ ‘em that!” Rose punched Silas’ shoulder when he alluded to their crew participating in less than legal activities.

“Hehehe, what? I didn’t say nothin’!” Silas scratched his neck and looked to the side.

“Sails…” Tails couldn’t help but repeat the word to himself. Did she really call him that or did he mishear her? He wasn’t nearly as concerned about the illegal activity.

“Harhar, aye!” Rose eagerly went for the change in subject, “Sometimes I be in the habit ‘o callin’ this big lug Sails! ‘Twas Skye’s idea t’ give us all nautical second names. Creative little bugger, this one!” Rose ruffled the kid’s hair fondly.

“Smart kid,” Tails commented idly, making the kit bashfully hide his face in his mother’s side from all the praise. “That was a really good pick, Skye. You know what makes it even better?”

Skye shook his head, still shyly clinging to his mother.

“Now we rhyme. Sails,” he put a hand on Silas’ shoulder, “and Tails!” He flourished his two tails on either side dramatically. He had no idea what came over him to make a big show of it suddenly, but the delighted look on the kit’s face made it worth it.

“Oh- Oooh! Bro, why didn’t ya fix me sooner?” Silas laughed and bonked himself on the head, “Tails! O’course! Barnacles in me brain, I tell you what. I won’t forget next time!”

“Thanks…” Tails said quietly, but was secretly beaming. He didn’t know why he was so salty earlier. Silas was a bit of a dingdong, but he had a good heart. He really did just forget.

“Arright, we been takin’ enough o’ yer brother’s time! I’m sure he be wantin’ t’ see more’n jest us at this ‘ere fancy bash,” Rose was the one to finally initiate their release.

“Oh, I ‘spose so,” Silas gave Tails and Kit some final affectionate pats. “Thanks fer puttin’ up with our ol’ crew for as long as ya did! And good t’ meet ya, Kit!”

Kit nodded in response before picking off and returning a child to him one last time.

“’Twas mighty fine t’ see ye again, Tails. Ye got yerself a fine man there. Quiet, good listener,” she patted Kit’s arm approvingly, “Wishin’ th’ best fer ye both.”

“Thank you, Rose,” Tails smiled gratefully at the pink hedgehog for setting him loose. “Good tidings to your family as well.”

“Arharharhar! Sending us off with a reference t’ th’ sea, are ye? Clever brother o’ yers, that one,” Rose punched Silas in the shoulder affectionately as they herded their flock of children away.

Tails let out a sigh of relief. That was one familial encounter survived. And it wasn’t so bad… Other than completely draining his social battery right away. The important thing was that Kit was perceived well and didn’t do anything to arouse suspicion. The worst thing he did was deadlift Silas above his head like it was nothing, much to the utter delight of the children. Tails was somewhat mortified, but Kit was once again just following the rules- this time giving in to the goading insistence of the children. Silas off-set the feat by also lifting Kit up, and overall no one seemed suspicious of the lanky fennec’s impossible strength. No one shouted “He’s a kelpie! Run!” like he was certain they would, so that was good.

Chapter Text

Tails’ social battery was dangerously low for so early in the evening. He was already in need of a reprieve, and quickly.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t all that familiar with the estate. He tended to linger in the same familiar safe spot year after year. This was the first time he really moved about and mingled; aforementioned safe spot not even in sight.

In his haste to put distance between himself and the crowded hall, Tails inadvertently led Kit into a second ballroom. Unlike the first that mostly consisted of socializing groups, this one was being used more for its namesake. A myriad of couples were stepping in time with the music, creating an elegant sea of movement. Tails swiftly redirected himself and Kit to stand close to the wall so they would not be in the way.

Well, at least they would be less likely to be accosted for conversation in here. But at the same time, it would be odd to linger for too long on the sidelines. If they were to stay, they’d need to add their rhythmic presence to the dance floor. This wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that Kit was a swamp-dwelling schmuck that surely had no experience with such things.

Tails was quite familiar himself. He had been taught a few basic elements of courtship from a young age. Certain things were impossible for him to master (read: most things), but the steps to the various ballroom dances remained ingrained within him. They were like a formula, a recipe. A repetitious cycle that was the same every time. He wouldn’t say he particularly liked dancing, but it was certainly more agreeable than small talk.

Tails caught sight of Cream dancing with her friend Cindy, doing a simple waltz. They were smiling and clearly having a grand time despite going a bit slower than what the tempo demanded. He didn’t know much about Cindy, but he assumed by their pace that Cream was giving her an impromptu lesson.

Tails glanced at his own lanky companion, who was also watching the dancers with curiosity. ‘Hmm… Maybe…?’

“Kit?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think you would be able to do something like that?”

“Like what? Moving in a pattern to the music while clinging to one another?” Kit narrowed his eyes with scrutiny. “Surely it could not be difficult.”

Indeed, the kelpie didn’t seem to be familiar with dancing based on his description of the act. Tails was actually mildly surprised that he recognized the music and its importance. He didn’t think fae would have any appreciation for such beautiful things. Kit’s rude jab about the waltz sparked a little flame within Tails, though. Of course a fae would go out of its way to insult such a lovely custom, but it still managed to insult Tails perhaps a bit too much. It made him want to see Kit to put his money where his mouth was. After all, the setting seemed welcoming to beginners so long as they didn’t disrupt the dancefloor as a whole. He wouldn’t be the one looking foolish for showing inexperience. And Kit’s feet were no longer the hooves of a kelpie- surely it wouldn’t be so bad to get stepped on just a bit.

“Well, if it doesn’t seem difficult, I think we should join in,” Tails looked up into the dreary gaze of his partner. “Would you like to dance?”

It was an invitation, not an order. Kit could back down if he wanted to. Not that Tails would let him.

There was a lingering silence as Kit’s eyes shifted around ever so slightly. A tiny grumble escaped his mouth which Tails interpreted as acceptance.

‘Not so mouthy when actually faced with trying it, are you?’ Tails held back a grin. It was completely unlike him to have such sassy thoughts towards another mobian. But then again, this was a fae wearing a mobian disguise.

“You can observe for a bit longer if you like. Keep an eye on the feet,” Tails tried not too sound too smug. “I recommend watching that couple.”

Kit’s eyes darted to the indicated couple and he watched intently.

Tails gave him a little bit of time to study. Certainly not enough, but it was at least something.

Soon, he took a few steps onto the dance floor and offered Kit his hand. His own lack of nervousness surprised him as he asked, “May I have this dance?”

With some hesitancy, Kit accepted his hand and was led away from the wall. Tails held up Kit’s right hand with his left and slid the other behind his back just below the shoulder blade. Kit fidgeted as he tried to precisely mirror Tails’ position. Then Tails drew him in close.

With his face lined up to Kit’s chest, Tails felt some awkwardness flow back into his veins. Touching and being in such close proximity were the least ideal parts of dancing, but it would be fine.

They were all lined up now, ready to begin. Tails looked up at his partner.

“Right, so. I’m going to start by walking you around a little bit. Just keep your feet moving with mine and try not to step on them. Okay?”

“Very well,” Kit glanced down at him before focusing his attention on their feet.

Keeping aware of his surroundings, Tails started walking backwards. Kit trudged along stiffly, being very careful not to tread on him. He was mostly successful as Tails led him in this beginning exercise.

“Alright, now I’m going to lead us into the dance- the one I told you to observe. It’s a pretty simple pattern,” Tails began to move his feet accordingly. “If it helps, you can count with the steps. Like: One, two, three. One, two, three. See?”

“Ah… Yes,” Kit’s face was screwed up with concentration as he tried to keep up. He wasn’t doing half bad for someone that never danced before.

“Pretty good,” Tails couldn’t help but compliment him. He never had the opportunity to teach someone else before; it was actually kind of fun. His own movements were so ingrained that he didn’t have to think about them. He could just observe Kit’s progress at his leisure and relax.

Relax. At a party. What a peculiar concept.

He was still a bit out of it from the encounter with Silas’ family, but he had to admit: He was feeling pretty okay right now. And in the arms of a gangly monster, no less.

“Quite peculiar indeed,” Tails murmured softly to himself.

“I concur,” Kit said.

“Oh? Which part is it for you? The pattern or the clinging?” Tails let the smallest of grins slip through as he referred back to Kit’s previous statement.

“The gentleness,” Kit replied, “It would be far easier to snap you in half rather than hold you so softly.”

“O…Oh,” Tails’ sassiness was quickly vanquished when he was very firmly reminded of Kit’s true nature.

To say it put a damper on the mood was quite the understatement. He suddenly wasn’t very keen on prolonging the embrace between them.

Having drifted farther in as they danced, the other end of the room began to come into view. Blissfully, it featured a large archway that led outside to a garden. Tails steered their dance toward it, managing to nonobtrusively weave between other patrons along the way. Once they were close to the edge of the dance floor, he disengaged with his unpleasant partner and made his way towards the exit.

This was the reprieve he had been seeking all along.

Chapter Text

Tails let out a relieved sigh as fresh, outdoor air hit his face. The garden was large, but for the most part free of other patrons. Finally, he could truly get a breather. As usual, Kit remained silent as he trailed along. Tails was half-tempted to ask how his companion was faring before he reminded himself that he was trying to take a break from small talk right now. Not that it would really count, talking to a fae creature. They didn’t drain him in the way that other mobians did.

‘Well when I think of it like that, it almost makes it seem like I prefer fae!’ He grimaced and shooed the absurd thought away. It was certainly false, especially given the last exchange they had in the ballroom. Instead he focused on the cool night air brushing against his coat. The calm reassurance of nature- an entity neither mobian nor fae. Indeed, she would always be a welcome companion to him. As he contemplated staying out here for the rest of the evening, another couple emerging from the busy mansion caught his eye. A yellow fox was ushering her hunched over companion along, waltzing right past Tails and Kit without a glance. He quickly perked up when he recognized the duo.

“That’s it, just keep walking forward, we’re almost there,” the woman encouraged the other fox along with a calm, steady tone. The second fox had messy orange fur and a small red mohawk that bushed out into an even wilder mane of hair down his back. His staggered movements almost made it look like he had been wounded, but Tails was fairly certain that wasn’t the case. The bushy-furred fox was his older brother, Manny, and he didn’t do so well with big gatherings like this. Although Tails was never close with this particular sibling, he distinctively remembered the signs of an oncoming meltdown. Unfortunately, he still didn’t really know what to do when they happened. Manny’s wife (‘Zora? No- Zooey! That’s right.’) seemed to have a much better grasp on the situation. The fact that she recognized the warning signs and removed him from the stressful situation this early was proof enough of that.

“We made it. Go ahead and let it out. I’m right here if you need me,” Zooey allowed him to collapse to the ground behind some well-manicured shrubs, giving him some extra privacy. Manny proceeded to curl up in a heap and scream into his hands.

Tails couldn’t help but flinch a little. It was never easy seeing this happen to his brother, but he figured the best thing to do was just give him space. That and tell curious onlookers “Everything is alright; please just leave him be.” Zooey must have heard him directing people away because she finally glanced in his direction. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement, which she returned before redirecting her attention back to Manny.

Things steadily started to quiet down. Zooey and Manny spoke softly to one another now and again, too quiet for Tails to hear. After a while, Zooey beckoned Tails and Kit over. Manny was still curled up on the floor, but he must have been feeling better if he allowed the company. Tails crouched down next to him, feeling pretty awkward. He didn’t really know what to say, but regardless of their lack of closeness, Manny was still his brother. He had to think of something.

‘Asking if he’s okay would probably be stupid. Crap. Even Silas is better at this kind of stuff than me… What would he do?’

“Hey, Manny,” Tails started off, trying his best to channel his older brother’s annoying, yet somehow disarming charm. “What happened? Were you partying too hard? Had to take a nap?”

Zooey looked at him as if he had sprouted another head.

“You are an asshole Tails,” Manny spoke in an even tone. He must have recognized his voice because he replied without looking up. The teasing riled him up enough that he unfurled and sat up so he could punch Tails in the shoulder. He was still slumped at a bit of an odd angle, so it didn’t land very well.

“I must not be that bad if that’s all you got,” Tails goaded.

Zooey was still giving him a bit of a wary look as she silently analyzed the nature of his quips, but Manny did one better. After collecting himself for another couple of seconds, he repositioned himself and gave Tails a proper wallop. There was no real malice in the hit, but it still got a flinch and a grunt from Tails. It certainly hurt.

“F-Feeling better then?” Tails backed up a bit in case Manny felt the need to vent any more. Tails wasn’t a meatbag like Silas. His softer frame could only offer so much stress relief before he started to bruise.

“Yes no thanks to your wretched presence,” Manny said flatly. To anyone else he may have seemed genuinely upset with his unamused voice and his face frozen in a frown. But that was just Manny. He didn’t emote. Ever.

“Glad to hear it.”

“Do you want me to get you something to drink?” Zooey held her hand out toward Manny, offering him a less violent form of comfort if he so desired.

Manny was quiet for a moment, then nodded. He took her hand and kissed it, “Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back,” Zooey kissed his ear in turn and stood to leave.

“Better yet you should send Tails to do it. He is not doing anything and I would rather he leave than you.”

Zooey just laughed. She had since come to the conclusion that their back and forth was harmless brotherly shit talk. “You see me every day. Catch up for a moment why don’t you?”

“Zooey no!” Manny dramatically reached a hand towards her as she walked away. His monotone voice only made the bit all the more hilarious, getting a chuckle out of Tails. His laughter was cut off abruptly when Manny inquired, “Who is the frighteningly silent individual that has been hiding in your shadow?”

“O-oh!” Tails glanced behind him at the unobtrusive fennec. Truthfully, he all but forgot Kit’s presence while worrying about his brother. ‘Frighteningly silent’ was a pretty apt description. “This is Kit, my um. My date.”

“Kit are you fond of the earth? Gardening working in the fields that sort of thing?”

“Not particularly.”

“I see. Tails do you remember that patch of mandrakes you destroyed as a child? I came across an infestation of them in my field and found a number of uses for the roots that I think you will find interesting.”

Manny made no further attempts at small-talk with Kit, instead just chatting up Tails about all sorts of things. Mostly about farming, but he surprisingly hit on a number of magic-related things, too. He continued to talk about this and that even after Zooey returned, and Tails found himself quite at ease. Manny certainly didn’t bother himself with many social niceties, like feigning interest in other peoples’ affairs, but Tails found it oddly refreshing. He was very direct and to the point, and Tails didn’t mind just listening while he rattled on endlessly about soil quality, growth cycles, and whanot. It was kind of interesting, although a bit hard to follow with how fast Manny talked. When Tails actually got a chance to speak, he brought up some of his magic projects and it was all the more rewarding to know that Manny’s nods and hums as he listened were from genuine interest in his work.

Zooey, for her part, tried to include Kit in the conversation, but it was a lost cause. His slow, short statements were trampled on arrival. She resigned to chat with Kit separately while the two brothers entered geek-out mode with each other. Tails’ body seemed to forget that it was socially exhausted. Heck, he kind of forgot they were even at a party for a bit.

When Zooey announced that it was time for her and Manny to depart for the night, Tails couldn’t believe how much time had passed. Apparently it was already eleven thirty!

“Well hey, it was great talking to you, man!” Tails said genuinely. That was the most fun he had talking to another person in… Forever, really. All these years, and he had no idea Manny’s company could be so enjoyable. He was feeling quite disappointed that he had to go.

As if reading his mind, Manny tacked on, “I would like to hear more about your research on ents when you get around to it. You should write me.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will!” Tails held out a fist, which Manny amicably bumped.

“I look forward to it.”

“Let me know if you’re able to get ahold of that shea butter,” Zooey was saying to Kit. “Otherwise I’ll send you some by post.”

“Very well,” Kit nodded his head slightly.

“It was nice to meet you! Take care! You too, Tails!” She curtseyed to them and was off.

Tails turned to Kit curiously. He was so engrossed with Manny, he hadn’t payed any attention to what Kit and Zooey were up to. “What did you two talk about…?”

“Herbs. Fish. Decorative minerals and hair maintenance.”

“Ah…” Tails blinked in befuddlement. He was surprised that the creature actually seemed to have had a pleasant conversation with a mobian. Apparently he hadn’t said anything too outlandish because Zooey seemed eager to keep in contact with him. How bizarre.

“Oh, Tails, Kit, there you are,” Vanilla emerged from the crowd to address them. It was in that moment he realized he was back in the midst of the ballroom. He nearly followed Manny and Zooey all the way to the exit as they extended their goodbyes with one another.

“I have a question for you two. Would you mind staying a bit past our agreed upon departure time? They moved the dinner from eleven to midnight and I did want to stay for it.”

“Oh… Yes, ma’am. That’s fine. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on account of us.”

“Are you certain, dear? You’re not obligated to agree- you are my guest.”

“Quite certain, ma’am!” Tails would have lied even if it weren’t true. He wouldn’t dream of inconveniencing her or Cream. “I am quite hungry myself, actually.”

“Oh, good. I didn’t want to trouble you. I apologize for not asking sooner.”

“It’s no problem at all, ma’am,” Tails bowed his head deferentially.

“Thank you, dear. We’ll be on our way right after.”

“Sounds good to us,” Tails remembered last minute to make it seem like Kit was included in this decision.

It wouldn’t be so bad to stay a bit longer. There wasn’t much time left before the dinner, and they’d mostly spend the extra time eating anyway. However, that meant he could put off the “main event” no longer. With a heavy heart, he made the conscious effort to finally seek out his parents. It wasn’t long before he spotted the pair of brown foxes. His mother was in rapt conversation with another party guest, but he managed to catch his father’s eye.

Tails cleared his throat so he wouldn’t stumble with his words. His father wasn’t fond when he stuttered and fumbled in his presence. He walked over as confidently as he could, squaring his shoulders and meeting his gaze, “Good evening, Sir.”

“Miles, it’s good to see you.”

Chapter Text

Small talk with his father was nightmarish. Truth be told, there was nothing particularly awful about the man. Tails just found him intimidating and hard to talk to. They had nothing in common to really bond over, so it was always just the same round of questions and answers for every encounter. A robotic, nigh emotionless exchange of regurgitated conversations. More like a routine that had to be fulfilled rather than a nice time catching up.

“How is that homestead coming along?”

“I’m able to keep it maintained. Still just the horse, the cats, and the garden.”

His father nodded approvingly, “And you’re still doing well financially? Making your payments on time?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, that’s good. And the magic thing… Has that been turning a profit for you yet?”

“No, sir. It’s still more of a hobby and general utility,” Tails spoke like an actor reciting his lines.

This question made him choke up the first few times he’d been asked it, but he was accustomed to it by now. The touchy subject held a bit more baggage in the past. As a child, Tails didn’t understand that his knack for being able to think and solve problems using magic was a peculiar thing. He just thought it was his natural, useful talent- like how his mother is a social butterfly, how Silas is strong, or how Nine is artistic. He quickly learned that mobians didn’t really do magic- that was a fae thing. And in combination with being the weirdo born with an extra tail, it wasn’t a good look for him. Whispers between his siblings about him actually being a changeling left by a spriggan eventually fell upon his ears. Then the outright teasing began, especially from certain siblings. They’d tell him that Mother and Father would find him out soon enough and abandon him deep in the forest for the fae to reclaim him. Or that they’d beat him until he confessed to his wicked origins and bring back the “real” Miles. The indirect threats changed now and again, but they were always terrifying. Even though his parents never said anything about it themselves, never actually threatened him- there was still the ever-present fear of violence.

But that was when he lived back at home. Now that he was on his own, there was no need to fear being beaten or abandoned. No need to lose countless hours of sleep between the nightmares and worrying himself awake. Despite everything he heard growing up, his father really only seemed wary of the magic when he worried about it being a penniless career path. As long as Tails was able to make ends meet by other means, he didn’t seem concerned with it at all. Other than the inquiry about its monetary value, he was actually rather dismissive about the subject.

There used to be an additional part of their conversation where Tails would detail how he used his skills to benefit the town and his own day-to-day life. Or just explaining his magical process in general. Now that he wasn’t held back by the fear that kept him silent as a child, he had hoped he could finally share his interest with his parents. It was a core aspect of his life, after all- the reason he got out of bed every morning. But it was met with sheer disinterest and confusion every time. No matter how many times Tails explained even the most rudimentary aspects of the discipline, his father just couldn’t seem to remember a darn thing about it. Tails honestly couldn’t tell if he just didn’t get it or if he couldn’t be bothered to remember. So he eventually gave up, and that part of their dialogue routine was permanently skipped.

“You’re doing well with what you have,” his father moved the conversation along. “I’m proud that you’re able to get by so well on your own.”

And there is was. The preamble to the inevitable question that Tails thus far had to provide a disappointing answer to:

“Have you met anyone special lately? Or perhaps someone has taken an interest in you?” There was a glimmer of hope hiding deep within those stoic eyes.

It just as quickly started to fade when Tails hesitated despite finally having the response he was looking for. He couldn’t help but be filled with dread at the prospect of actively lying to his father. After a few unbearable moments of staring at him with his mouth agape, Tails managed to say, “Yes. I am. I am courting someone.”

It was in that moment that his mother so happened to join them, “Did I hear that correctly? Miles, you’re seeing someone?”

“I- Yes, ma’am,” Tails breathed. There, it was done. He managed to lie to both parents without losing his cool.

“Well, who is this person? Are they here?” His mother asked.

“Yes, um,” Tails cursed internally about slipping up and letting a filler word through. It wasn’t that big a deal; no one would say anything. But he tried so hard not to! He continued on with no sign of his internal struggle: “I’d like to introduce you to my date this evening…”

He gestured to Kit, who he had instructed to stand a ways back while he initiated the encounter with his father. Before he beckoned him over, he had to enact another important step in his plan and pray that it worked.

“But first… I uh, request that you don’t ask him too many questions just yet. He is quite deathly shy, you see. I had an awful time convincing him just to come tonight, but I knew you would want to meet him. So I will do most of the talking for us… If that’s alright.”

“He’s not going to throw a fit like Manny, is he?” Father was eyeing the fennec with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny.

“Er- no, sir-”

“Oh Miles, we don’t bite!” His mother exclaimed, but she was smiling. “We won’t frighten him off, I promise. Please, just let me meet the man that has finally tempted your heart!”

“Eheh, yes, ma’am,” Tails was a little touched (and a lot guilty) at how pleased his mother seemed. It was simultaneously crushing and uplifting as he finally waved Kit over to join them.

“Hello,” Kit glanced between them uncertainly, as if he couldn’t figure out why these two mobians required so much caution on Tails’ part.

The introductions went by in a bit of a haze. It was all quite boring and formal despite the pressure that continued to weigh on him throughout. His parents kept it mercifully short and cordial as he requested. They really must have been serious about not wanting to drive away this rare creature that managed to meet their problem son’s criteria for a potential partner. By the end of it, all Tails really recalled was his father also making an approving comment about Kit’s firm handshake. And before he knew it, it was over and done. A final bid of well wishes and he was released back into the crowd.

All that build up and anxiety for just a few minutes of trouble.

But he did it. He alleviated his parents’ worry and avoided their disapproval for the first time. He got through the entire evening without Kit rousing anyone’s suspicion or causing any real issues. And best of all-

“Ladies and gentleman, if you would make your way to the dining hall. Dinner is about to be served.”

Tails’ stomach took that moment to let out an impeccably timed grumble. Now that he was fully unburdened of all social worries and was guaranteed a swift and clean departure after their meal, he was ready to freaking eat.

Chapter Text

Tails’ tails were swaying with anticipation as he took a seat at the impossibly long dining hall table. With his worries assuaged and spirits lifted, he could focus on the gift that was about to be bestowed upon him. The grand dinner was like a reward for enduring the grueling social aspects that led up to it. The hors d’oeuvres throughout the night were already such a sublime indulgence, but the dinner? It was divine. It was what he imagined royalty had on a regular basis. But in this rare instance, the multi-course meal was being provided to the average folk.

He glanced at the cutlery setup without much thought. The myriad of utensils with their specific uses didn’t daunt him anymore. It was yet another ritual he had been taught to appear more cultured, and thus, more desirable to a potential upper-class suitor. His parents really had made their best effort to give their children the option of moving up the social ladder. The thought never really occurred to him though, since he was so occupied with his specific hardships and anxieties growing up. But that was all in the past now. He could just relax, enjoy his prize, and then be on his way back home.

That is, until he looked to his side and saw Kit holding up one of the forks by its tines. He looked as if he was examining an ancient relic rather than a common utensil. Thankfully, he quickly put the fork back in its correct place before Tails had the chance to protest. Unfortunately, this was just a precursor to the events that would unfold throughout the meal. Tails had no time to give Kit an impromptu lesson, as the first course was already being delivered to them. He was only able to lean over and give quick instructions for the first part.

“Clasp your hands together, bow your head, and close your eyes until the prayer is concluded,” Tails whispered right before the host initiated grace. He thought better to have Kit try to recite the gratitude prayer with them- it was just as well that he remained silent. He nudged him beneath the table right as it concluded, hoping his quiet “Now open your eyes” went unheard by the rest of the patrons as they recited the final words.

But one crisis averted quickly morphed into another when Kit bent his face down into the bowl of salad and gave it a hearty sniff. Convinced he was about to start chowing down like a dog, Tails smacked his hand into Kit’s chest and pushed him back to an upright position. Or rather, the intent behind his actions made Kit sit up. Tails’ flimsy little appendage had no power over the kelpie’s hulking body.

‘Of course. Why would a fae know anything about etiquette or manners?’ Tails sighed, hoping that the other guests were too absorbed with their own affairs to pay any attention to his date’s lack of manners. He glanced around furtively just in case- and thanked Gaia that his parents weren’t seated anywhere near them. He did, however, catch a little grin of amusement from Cream. She ducked her head away when he caught sight of her, but clearly she had witnessed the incident. As usual, she was too polite to bring attention to it and embarrass either of them.

‘She probably thinks he’s a bumpkin from the hills,’ Tails thought fretfully. It occurred to him that despite looking well groomed, Kit was introduced to her while he was wearing those grubby, ill-fitting work clothes. But there was nothing he could do about that now. Tails let out another exasperated breath before collecting himself and putting on a faux relaxed face.

“Watch me. Do exactly as I do,” Tails murmured as discretely as possible. He very deliberately picked up the salad fork, collected a proper-sized bite, and placed it in his mouth. He observed Kit’s actions out of the corner of his eye, hoping that the monster got the hang of it without much fuss. That was too much to hope for, though. First Tails had to take his hand to reposition the fork correctly. Then he had to take it once more to help the struggling brute apply the correct amount of pressure to spear the leaves. He supposed Kit’s gentle caution was preferable to him accidentally breaking the bowl in half, but it was quite exhausting (and embarrassing) to have to help him with every little step. Tails nearly died when Kit accidentally bit the tips of the fork off. Thankfully, no one was scrutinizing Kit’s cutlery enough to notice the damaged fork.

Kit continued to make absurd mistakes all throughout the dinner. Tails did his best to focus on enjoying the meal despite it all, but he was incredibly flustered by the time the main course arrived. Tails just couldn’t hold back his frustration any longer when Kit speared the entire slab of steak and started raising it to his mouth.

“Drop that!” Tails hissed.

Kit obeyed, but gave him a quizzical look. It was as if he was purposely acting foolish. Tails kind of wanted to explode.

“Do you need some help?” Cream asked quietly.

“No! He’s- We’re fine. I-I’ve got it…” Tails dismissed her as he tried not to lose his temper.

Having lost all faith in Kit’s ability to follow directions, Tails started cutting his steak for him. He nearly perished on the spot when he went so far as to feed Kit a bite as well. There was absolutely no way Kit could muck it up now that Tails had demonstrated the entire process. He slumped back into his seat after the task was complete, warily observing Kit before he even dared to try to enjoy his own food.

“Don’t look so fretful,” Cream said. “Tending to your partner at dinner is romantic. You look completely natural. Just relax; you’re fine.”

Tails gave her a weary look, but there was no pity in her eyes. She subtly gestured towards another guest that was offering a bite to their partner. The lovey-dovey gaze on their face painted a completely different picture from his situation, and he supposed it proved Cream’s point. At any rate, it allowed a bit of tension to leave his body.

“And besides, this gathering is for folks from all walks of life. If anyone were to make you or Kit feel unwelcome… Well, I may have to get crass with such a person on your behalf.”

Tails raised his eyebrows at that. For Cream, becoming “crass” was something else entirely. She was not one to be trifled with in the battlefield of social niceties. She could probably shut down the queen herself, and do so in such a polite way that would make the queen appear to be a mannerless barbarian. The reminder that he had such a fierce warrior of etiquette on his side finally quelled any remaining anxieties in his system.

He mouthed a silent ‘Thank you’ and got started on his steak with renewed confidence. He definitely wouldn’t let Kit ruin the upcoming dessert, whatever it might be.

Cream smiled and returned to her own meal.

Despite their caution, neither Tails nor Cream took notice of the curiously glancing eyes from farther down the table. The owner of the red eyes brought a hand to their chin thoughtfully. Very curious indeed.

Chapter Text

By the end of the meal, Tails was left with nothing but content. He didn’t let any more of Kit’s foolish actions get to him. He was able to thoroughly enjoy the array of labor-intensive dishes and exotic spices that he would never be able to afford in his day-to-day meals. He may have been imagining things, but Kit almost seemed petulant as they got up to leave. Tails’ suspicion that was Kit subtly, but purposefully antagonizing him was at an all time high.

‘Typical fae… Can’t help but make a nuisance of itself.’

It was just as well, though, since the night was about to finally come to a close. All things considered, it was definitely his most successful time attending the gala. He assuaged his parents’ worries about him, appeased several siblings with his presence, enjoyed a luxurious meal, and was only terribly stressed out for maybe 20% of the evening. A major step up compared to even his second best visit. He even spent a good portion of the night actually having a nice time rekindling his relationship with Manny. And he kept the kelpie firmly on its leash, overall not causing any problems other than a little hiccup here and there. He never thought he’d say it, but the experience was actually somewhat enjoyable. A ten out of ten for sure.

He couldn’t think of anything that could possibly make the night better (save for purely fantastical things like his father suddenly understanding and being impressed by his magic). Now he just needed to abscond before any last minute mishaps could spoil his perfect score.

“Were you really going to leave without saying hello? Some jerk you’ve become.”

Tails spun around and was met with a smaller, paler fox with tufted ears. Clad in a fancy black dress with metallic stylings and striking makeup, it took him a moment to realize who was addressing him. His apprehension dissolved when he recognized his younger sister.

“Nine! I uh, didn’t know you were here?”

“Whatever, just say you didn’t recognize me in this thing and get it over with,” Nine rolled her eyes, “I can’t believe you spent that much time with Silas’ entourage and didn’t even think to try to find me. I’m hurt.”

“Ehehe, uh, sorry?” Tails hadn’t yet recovered from the sight of her fanciful getup and still had his awkward filter on. It was so weird to see the total tomboy all gussied up. “Wait a minute, have you been watching me?”

“Not on purpose. But it’s kind of hard to miss the giant flagpole you’ve been dragging around all night,” Nine glanced at said flagpole, who stared blankly back at her. When neither of the boys responded right away, Nine leaned in towards Tails’ ear and whispered loudly, “It’s usually polite to introduce your plus one to new people. In case you forgot already.”

“Pfft, shut up!” Tails shoved her away good-naturedly. They both grinned now that the awkwardness between them finally dissipated. Tails proceeded to clear his throat and put on an over-the-top “fancy” tone as he continued, “Nine, I would like you to meet my dearest, Kit. Kit, this is my sister, Nine.”

“Hello,” Kit presented her with his hand, as he’d learned to do from the previous family encounters.

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Nine spoke as if Kit didn’t just say the most bland greeting possible. She lightly clasped her small hand with his enormous one and gave it a dainty little bob.

Her touch was so light that Kit didn’t meet her with his usual firm grip and return shake. Instead he just kept his hand open and loose, staring dumbly at the new spin on this interaction.

Tails snorted loudly, “What are you doing? You’re no lady.”

Nine grinned mischievously. She grabbed Kit’s hands with both of hers and shook it with friendly fervor, letting go before he had a chance to react. “I’m just messing with you, Kit. It really is nice to meet you. I appreciate you taking pity on my brother and giving him a chance.”

That earned her another shove from Tails, but Nine didn’t hesitate to fight back this time. In seconds they were tussling with each other like oversized children. Kit didn’t know what to make of the laughing, gekkering foxes before him, so he just stood by awkwardly.

“What the hell are you doing?” An authoritative arm wrenched Tails off of his sibling.

Immediately realizing how foolish he was acting, Tails lowered his ears sheepishly as he turned to see who had reprimanded him. His expression quickly morphed to one of irritation.

“Oh. Fiona,” Tails acknowledged the red fox.

Fiona ignored his disapproving stare, instead fussing over Nine’s dress that had gotten crumpled in their silly scuffle. She tugged the delicate garment back into its proper place, making Nine blush when she adjusted the fabric near her chest. “There you go, babe. That moron almost made you indecent in front of everyone.”

“I- er,” Nine stammered with an intensifying blush. She smiled shyly at Fiona with a look in her eyes that made Tails want to barf. “Sorry. Thanks.”

“It’s alright, I got you,” Fiona smiled and tenderly brushed back a few of Nine’s stray hairs that had fallen in her face. “Not your fault anyway.”

Tails puffed up indignantly at the side-eye Fiona slung his way. It wasn’t his fault that charlatan of a woman got Nine to wear such fragile, impractical clothing. She had to be the one behind it- Nine didn’t go for that frou-frou kind of stuff on her own. Fiona was always convincing Nine to do things completely against her character. Changing her, morphing her into an object of Fiona’s own desires where his awesome, snarky sister used to be. It made his blood boil.

“As if a rogue like you has any care for decency!” Tails said loudly, too angry to care if his raised voice drew attention to himself. He squared his shoulders and glared at her defiantly, so done with her manipulative bullcrap. Nine deserved better! It was about time someone called Fiona out for what she was!

“Oh, cut the crap, Miles,” Fiona sneered at him dismissively. Nine gave her a pointed look to which Fiona rolled her eyes and begrudgingly corrected herself: “Tails. We all know you’re about as aggressive as a lamb. Stick to your strengths. Like being soft and fluffy.” She poked a finger in his poofy bangs and twirled it around before giving him a pat on the head.

Tails wanted to scream with indignation from the demoralizing action. But instead, he found that his thrumming heart prevented him from doing much more than freezing up. Fiona’s flippant show of her utter disdain towards him worked wonders in making him feel incredibly small and powerless. He was fooling absolutely no one with his portrayal of a tough guy. He easily crumpled back down to his usual diminutive posture.

“W-Whatever!” He managed to eke out meekly. Too afraid to insult her directly again, he coughed out a half-hearted jab at Nine’s attire, “She looks weird in that thing, though.”

“She doesn’t look weird, she looks beautiful, you horse’s ass!” Fiona lashed back, her canines gleaming when she all but snarled in defense of her girlfriend.

Tails couldn’t help but flinch in fear of her domineering presence. Nine, who he thought would find humor in his statement, was giving him a disapproving look, too. Welp, that was it. He was cooked. This battle was fruitless and he should retreat posthaste. Surely neither of them would protest to a hasty retreat since they both hated him so much. But much to his surprise, Fiona continued the conversation before he could flee.

“Anyway- We didn’t come over here to quarrel with you. Nine had something she wanted to say. Go ahead, babe.”

“Right,” Nine cleared her throat. “So, you know that patron that’s been supporting my art? The one Fiona introduced me to?”

“Er, yes?” Tails kept his ears flattened timidly. “What of them?”

“This is his estate. And he’d like to meet you.”

“Who- Wha-? Me?” Tails was flabbergasted. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

Nine shook her head. “No idea, but he requested your presence. You better go and introduce yourself.”

“Uh. Um. Myself? You’re not going to…?” Tails fidgeted nervously. He had never been acquainted with nobility before.

“We were just leaving,” Fiona said curtly and took Nine’s arm.

“He’s over there,” Nine gestured towards a luxuriously dressed gentleman. She paused and furrowed her brow, as if thinking carefully about her parting words. But then she simply met him with, “Well, bye then. Maybe I’ll see you at the next gathering.”

“Oh, yes, um, goodbye, Nine,” Tails fumbled as she turned to leave. He stared after her as she and Fiona disappeared into the crowd, his features drooping even more.

He felt guilty for ruining their moment together with petty antagonism towards her girlfriend. Out of all his siblings, they used to be so close. Until that charlatan started courting her, smothering her with flattery and frippery. It was obvious to Tails that her interest in Nine was manufactured: a thin veil to obscure her true intentions of leeching off of Nine’s brilliant artistic prowess. Or some other nefarious scheme; Tails wasn’t completely sure. All he knew is that he couldn’t stand to be around her. Every little action towards Nine reeked of insincerity. She was so fake.

Unfortunately, Nine was completely smitten and dismissed his concerns outright. It was wild because Nine wasn’t even interested in dating prior to meeting Fiona. Like him, she was fully committed to her craft. And their friendship. Growing up, they used to gag and joke about how gross everyone else was for getting into mushy romances that led to marriage: How that would never be them. They made a pact to be single and weird forever, outcasts or not. It may have been a bit immature and silly, but he didn’t think he’d lose her so soon. And especially not to a leech that wanted to change everything wonderful about her.

Unless he was the problem? The one that was holding her back? After all, he was the one that exacerbated the wedge between them just now. Perhaps his younger sibling just grew up before he did. It was par for the course at this point- he was always lagging behind on social expectations. But that was neither here nor there: their bond was now fractured regardless of the exact cause. People changed. He just had to accept that. And while he was at it, pray that he was wrong about Fiona, too.

Well, eventually. It was still too difficult to ignore his gut-feeling of distrust towards her. And right now he had to shift his focus to the noble that wanted to meet him for Gaia knows why. He glanced in the man’s direction and accidentally locked eyes with him. He could put off his approach no longer. With a heavy heart and frayed nerves, Tails forced his legs to carry himself towards certain social doom.

Kit trailed after him as he went.

‘Oh. Oh Gaia, I’m bringing an uncultured fae before nobility! Oh no, oh no no no-’

Tails turned sharply and halted his companion, “Stay here. I don’t have time to explain the importance of this to you.”

With that, Tails swiftly closed the remaining gap between him and the fancy gentleman. Now directly before him, Tails couldn’t help but falter. It was as if he had entered an airless vacuum- the demanding presence of the platinum-furred platypus taking up all available resources to bolster the gap between his excellence and Tails’ peasant ass. The noble was dressed in immaculate brocade silks with gold embellishments, the deep fuchsias and reds complimenting his hypnotic gaze. Those terrible and gorgeous eyes rested lazily upon him with the look of someone taking a moment to observe an insect underfoot.

When Tails finally remembered to breathe, he was enveloped by a handsome musky scent. This snapped him back to earth and brought him out of his stupor. He bowed deeply before his superior, making a show of his deference.

“It is an honor to meet your acquaintance, your Excellency. I am Miles Prower of Westside Grove, son of Amadeus and Rosemary Prower. You give patronage to my sister, Nina Prower.”

Not a single stutter! Tails was positively sparking with elation for introducing himself without error. His joy was cut short when he rose to find a frown on his superior’s beak.

“Miles Prower, you seem to have left your companion behind,” the platypus commented with disappointment. He raised a webbed hand and beckoned Kit over. “Join us.”

To Tails’ horror, Kit obliged and was soon by his side once more. Internally screaming, Tails could do nothing but watch the disaster he was sure was about to unfold. Kit had to have been watching though, right? Surely he wouldn’t go for a handshake and a bland “Hello”?

With the sharp bend of a knee, Kit lowered his tall stature so that he could bow properly. The wave of relief that washed over Tails made his heart skip a beat.

“May I introduce to you Kit Tsunami,” Tails pointedly made a pause between the two words, “of Willow Village.”

“Hmm,” The noble hummed with approval before finally introducing himself, “I am Count Starline, overseer of this estate and patron to many gifted individuals.” His gaze lingered on Kit, “I must say, it is quite interesting to come across someone of your background at an event such as this. Quite interesting, indeed.”

When Kit gave nothing more than a head tilt in response, Tails interjected on his behalf, “Um, background? How do you mean?”

“Oh, you know, from the hills,” Count Starline smiled unkindly and fidgeted with his decorative rapier nonchalantly. “I couldn’t help but notice your… Difficulty during the meal.”

Tails looked aghast.

“Oh, no need to fret. I have a feeling he’ll integrate just fine over time.”

“I- Yes. Thank you for your grace, your Excellency,” Tails tried not to choke on his embarrassment. Was that why the Count wanted to meet him? Just to rub his face in the mud? It was his right, of course, but Tails really could have done without the mockery.

“That is quite an interesting necklace you’re wearing, Kit,” Count Starline was once again fixated on his guest, reaching out to finesse the aforementioned trinket. “How did you come across such an enchanting object?”

“Tails made it for me,” Kit finally spoke.

“Tails…” Starline glanced at Tails’ duo appendages.

Tails drew his tails tightly together behind him and blushed furiously, “Ah, p-please pardon him, your Excellency-”

“No no, it’s quite alright. Charming really,” Count Starline smothered him with a bemused smile. “Is that what you do, Miles? Make jewelry?”

“Er, no. That was a one-time creation, just for him,” Tails said. It was true- he did create the bridle that transformed into the necklace, after all.

“I see,” Count Starline let the necklace fall back to Kit’s chest. “Nina is incredibly skilled at her craft. She creates true beauty, a trait worthy of being cultivated. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes, of course,” Tails welcomed the shift in focus to his sister.

“I wonder, as her most cherished sibling, do you also possess an equivalently impressive talent?”

“I, er. I am well versed in crafting magick items,” Tails couldn’t help but spit out the truth despite the negative association. He truly was awful at lying when unprepared.

“A two-tailed fox with a penchant for magic craft? How fitting,” Count Starline pierced his very soul with his inquisitive gaze. His hand once again traced the intricate swirl-patterned hilt of his rapier.

“U-um, yes, your Excellency,” Tails said, trying desperately to hide his fear. Here he was, before the count of the estate, being exposed as a magic-user with an unexplained physical oddity. All of the terror that kept him awake at night of being beaten and exiled by his family was compounded tenfold. With a snap of his fingers, the Count could order him beheaded right then and there. That is, if he didn’t choose to simply run him through with his own rapier. Tails’ knees weakened. His vision started to swim. He resisted throwing himself before the Count and begging for his life.

‘Please, your Excellency! I only want to use my skills to serve my community and be a productive member of mobian society! I’m not a fae! I’m not a fae!!’

“Hm. Well, that will be all. I do believe your entourage is ready to leave,” Count Starline glanced behind him at the Rabbits nonchalantly. “Fare thee well, Tails.”

Tails blinked away the hazy spots that had formed in his vision. The Count was letting him go? He didn’t suspect him?

“Ah, yes! Thank you, your Excellency. G-good tidings to you, your Excellency,” Tails stammered and bowed as the Count departed. Once he was well out of range, Tails righted himself and briskly made his way towards the exit.

Kit followed him like a silent shadow.

“You got to speak to Count Starline! How exciting!” Cream said as they neared.

“Y-yes, I nearly lost my dinner from all the excitement,” Tails replied, the latent terror too potent to allow him to feel embarrassment for admitting such a thing.

“You’ve had quite an eventful evening, haven’t you?” Vanilla met his erratic behavior with nothing but sympathy. “Let’s be on our way back home so you can rest.”

“I would like that very much,” Tails took a breath to calm himself. “Thank you.”

The ride back home was blissfully quiet, with Vanilla and Cream mostly talking softly amongst themselves. Tails tried to keep polite, silent company, but could no longer fight the mental taxation that built up over the course of the event. He passed out rather quickly, slumping against Kit like an exhausted little puppy.

After a few glances from both rabbits, Kit made an executive decision based on his orders to meet societal expectations. Tails was supposed to be his mate in this context, and he had succumbed to slumber next to him. Lying open and vulnerable, he was prone to being thrown to the ground if the carriage hit a bump in the road. Kit moved his arm carefully, draping it around Tails’ waist to securely hold him by his side. This elicited a muffled squeak of delight from the younger rabbit across from him.

Kit paid no attention to her happiness. These mobians were all a horrible plague cast upon him, surrounding him and engulfing him with their nonsensical mannerisms. It sickened him how well he followed the commands forced upon him by the dreadful trinket affixed around his neck. If it were up to him, the interior of the carriage would be stained red.