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It had started as an offhand comment. The days were getting warmer, and Miko and Muko were talking about hitting the beach, getting a tan, that kind of thing.
She’d mentioned it to Okarun, just in passing.
And he’d casually replied that... he’d never been to the beach.
She was halfway through mentally planning a romantic beach date when Jiji, having overheard, came bounding over and declared that a full group beach day would be super cool.
And Okarun, dense as he sometimes was, had happily agreed.
Ah well. There was always next time.
Still, as they talked it out, it turned out the only day everyone was free was...
The night of the next full moon.
Okarun wouldn’t be forced to transform until evening (though Jiji had already started excitedly pitching ideas for a massive bonfire), but from experience, he was usually antsy all day. Restless. Buzzing with too much energy to sit still.
She’d opened her mouth to suggest postponing the trip—maybe rescheduling it for another week—but to her surprise, Okarun was the one who said it would be fine.
He’d looked a little shy, rubbing the back of his neck, and admitted he had a strong suspicion that if he triggered the transformation voluntarily earlier in the day, the excess energy wouldn’t be nearly as bad.
That settled it.
The gang had already been excited, but the idea of spending a beach day not just with Okarun, but with Okarun as a wolf, sent them into a full-blown fever pitch.
Gran had been surprisingly supportive, even promising to drive them there, though she did mourn the fact that this time the house wouldn’t be scrubbed top to bottom by Okarun with too much energy and too little to occupy him.
Old bat. Using Okarun for free labor like that.
And just like that, the plan was set: the whole gang was going to the beach.
Her thoughts drifted.
She probably needed to get some new swimwear… something cute.
And maybe some new swimming trunks for Okarun. Ones that wouldn't clash with his fur when transformed.
A few days later, on the night of the full moon, all six of them stood in her yard, practically buzzing with excitement.
Gran had rented a minivan for them. They piled in, and about forty minutes later, they were being unceremoniously dumped at the edge of the beach, while Gran and Turbo Granny sped off further down the coast to “get some privacy away from all you damn brats.”
Rude.
But none of them were deterred, practically racing toward the changing area just before the main stretch of sand.
And heh, her little foray into beachwear shopping had been a complete success. Because:
One: Okarun looked absolutely adorable in the deep red swim trunks she’d picked out for him. The color matched the streaks in his hair perfectly, and she was certain it would look just as good when he went full wolf mode.
And two: He turned into a stammering, red-faced mess the second she stepped out of the changing stall. Which meant her own new swimsuit — a stylish but practical combo of fitted shorts and a cropped top (you never knew when they’d be attacked, after all) — was a total win.
His tail was going nuts.
Okarun was already in his yokai form. Had been all day, really. She didn’t think he could manage to stay human on the day of the full moon, not with how amped up he was. With only the trunks on, the signature black ruff of spiritual energy around his neck and the strip of fur running down his back like a mane were fully visible, normally hidden under clothes.
They set off toward the beach, but as soon as they stepped out of the shade, Okarun went ramrod straight. Then, without warning, he leapt back like he’d touched an electric fence.
He turned bright red as everyone paused to stare at him.
“Uh... you okay there?” She asked, eyeing him uncertainly.
“I think I’m actually good right here,” he said, voice cracking as his usually deep yokai tone pitched up an octave.
She stared at him, unimpressed.
With everyone watching, he finally edged forward, stopping right at the border where shade met sun. He took a deep breath, braced himself, and cautiously extended one digitigrade foot onto the sunlit sand.
The moment it touched down, he hissed and yanked it back.
Ah. The sand was blistering under the midday sun—and he was walking barefoot on sensitive, padded paws.
“You know,” she said, glancing at him with mock seriousness, “I think they make little bootie things for this kind of thing.”
“Momo,” he replied flatly, fixing her with a deadpan look. “I am not going to wear dog shoes.”
She would have absolutely jury-rigged something to protect his beans, but after a few more tentative steps, he seemed to start adjusting to the heat. Just like he had at the hot springs.
Shame.
But with the crisis averted, they continued on, scanning the beach for a good spot to set up their stuff, including the massive parasols Aira had somehow procured.
“Hurry up, Okarun!” she called, as he lagged behind, still talking with Jiji. “We need to get sunscreen on!”
“Can I even get sunburned now?” he asked, holding up one pale, gray-tinted arm.
“Are you seriously trying to argue your way out of me putting sunscreen on you, dude?” she said, sniffing. “Anyway, either way, I need you to put sunscreen on me.”
That got his attention.
“…Lead on,” he said, suddenly serious.
Okarun could feel that familiar thrum inside him again. A low, crackling buzz beneath his skin, like static begging for release. It wasn’t nearly as alarming as the first time, when he had no clue what was happening. But it was still there, humming just beneath the surface.
Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn’t accidentally nicked Momo with his claws when she insisted he apply sunscreen to her back. His hands had been jittery from a mix of nerves and the fact that his whole body felt like it was plugged into a spiritual power outlet.
Now, everyone had spread out, doing their own thing across the beach.
Sakata was in the shallows with Vamola, apparently teaching her how to swim. He figured she hadn’t had many chances to learn before. She was fully geared up: two floaties per arm, a ring around her waist, and what looked like a tiny propulsion device made from nanoskin strapped to her back. Of course Sakata would come prepared.
Aira was midway through constructing an elaborate sandcastle with Jiji, the two of them locked in a quiet, competitive intensity. He knew that Jiji and Evil Eye had worked out a deal: despite the huge amounts of cool water surrounding them, Evil Eye would purposely not take control—
As long as he got out to, in his words, “play with Aira-nee-chan and Takakura” later.
And Momo was right by his side, tucked into their little base of beach towels and parasols.
They’d already gone for a swim together earlier, mostly in the hope that it might dull the buzz inside him. And while it had helped a little, he knew what the real solution was.
He just hadn’t worked up the courage to do it yet.
It would be fine. He was almost sure of that. But he was still a little leery after what had happened during their trip to that mountain town of dogs.
Still, it wasn't like he had much of a choice. Sooner or later, it would happen whether he wanted it to or not.
But for now, he could just lie back with Momo, side by side in the shade, listening to the waves and feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin.
It really didn’t take long before the feeling grew too strong to ignore.
At this point, he was either going to have to sprint off into the horizon or give in and transform.
With a quiet sigh, he felt his ears droop in resignation. He’d been hoping he wouldn’t have to spend the entire day as a wolf, but... well.
“Momo?” he said, glancing over at her. “I think I’m ready to, uh... you know. Could you... help?”
“Oh!” She perked up instantly, grinning wide, though she quickly toned it down when she saw the uncertainty on his face. “Yeah. Of course.”
She sat up and turned to face him, her smile softening as she gently took his hands in hers. He returned the gesture, his tail giving a nervous flick behind him.
“Oh! Hang on,” Momo said, pausing just before she started. She leaned forward and carefully removed his glasses.
He blinked at her, wide-eyed. “Um?”
Without answering, she reached into the bag they had brought and dug around until she triumphantly pulled out two bright green clips. She waved them in front of his face like a prize.
He squinted at them, confused for a second, then remembered why she had them, and why she'd taken the glasses in the first place. A swell of gratitude rose in his chest.
“Ah, you’re a genius, Momo…” he said, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her cheek.
She flushed, caught off guard, a slightly stammered, “I—I know!” escaping her lips as she reached up to cup his face in both hands.
With Momo guiding him—gently drawing out the spiritual energy that buzzed just beneath his skin—the shift into his wolf form came gradually. It was nothing like the forced, jarring transformation during that first full moon. It was becoming more familiar now. He was fairly certain he wouldn’t need her help next time.
He felt the tension lift from his body as the weight of his human form seemed to dissolve, his senses flooding instead with spiritual energy. It surged outward under her touch, spiraling into something larger and, somehow, comfortably familiar.
And through it all, he could feel Momo’s hands, warm and steady, still cupping his face.
Right up until he opened his eyes… and saw her smug grin.
Before he could react, she began gleefully squishing his cheeks, her thumbs brushing against the thick tufts of fur now growing out around them.
“Thought you were being sweet,” he muttered, tail giving a half-hearted flick as he leaned into her touch despite himself.
“I was,” she laughed, pulling back just long enough to grab his glasses. She stuck out her tongue as she carefully balanced the glasses over his snout, then secured them with the bright green clips.
“TAKAKURA!”
The sudden yell made them both jump.
Evil Eye was gaping at him from behind a sandcastle—lopsided, but shockingly tall.
They both froze.
Around them, the rest of the group turned to look at the source of the commotion.
He swallowed hard, internally bracing himself for the onslaught.
Momo watched, thoroughly amused, as Okarun was all but ambushed.
The rest of the gang hadn’t gotten the chance to see his wolf form yet, and she knew they’d been looking forward to it.
He still had his red swim trunks on—now made of spiritual energy, they shifted with his form, shaped to his form, with edges that shimmered like mist clinging to his fur. His wolf body was large and lean, covered in soft white fur streaked through with vivid red, with a dark ruff of black fur around his neck where spiritual energy usually gathered.
She kept a careful eye on things, making sure they weren’t overwhelming him. To her mild surprise, Aira was doing a decent job keeping Vamola and Evil Eye from completely swarming him.
Ugh. The skank had her uses sometimes, she begrudgingly admitted.
Okarun, for his part, sat patiently while they took turns poking and prodding at him.
She especially enjoyed the stunned looks when he responded with his usual high-pitched human voice, perfectly calm except for the occasional chuff or grunt.
At least he had some pride. He let out a low growl when Evil Eye tugged on one of his ears, though that earned him a quick scolding from Aira.
She nearly choked on her drink when Evil Eye practically begged Okarun to let him ride on his back.
And Okarun... obliged.
He even knelt down to help Evil Eye scramble on, like he was some kind of furry amusement park ride.
What the hell! That was her spot!
She caught herself a second later, cheeks warming.
Okay. Wow. Chill. Okarun didn’t belong to her. And Evil Eye’was basically a kid. So it was okay.
Still... just as long as no one else got any bright ideas.
Well, maybe Vamola. Vamola was too good and pure for this world. She could have a turn.
She shoved the jealousy down and kept watching as Okarun tore up and down the beach, Evil Eye clinging to his back and screaming with delight.
Hmph. She wouldn’t have held on that tight. She was a much better rider.
Actually... maybe she should start charging people for rides. It might even help Okarun finally afford a smartphone.
The beach wasn’t exactly crowded, but there were still a few people milling around. Strangely, none of them seemed to notice the huge wolf sprinting along the shoreline.
That told her two things.
One: people couldn’t see Okarun as a wolf at all. That tracked. His body was kind of... not there, spiritually speaking. Most people didn’t notice anything unusual when he was in his yokai form either—just the most "plausible" version their brains could accept.
Two: no one seemed to notice Evil Eye either. Or, well, Jiji, riding on Okarun’s back like he was in a fantasy anime. No one pointed. No one said anything about a kid flying through the air.
That made less sense.
Still, maybe it was the same weird perception filter that always seemed to kick in around Okarun. People only noticed what made sense—like black nails or white hair—instead of glowing curse marks or streaks of red.
A shame, really. If going barefoot didn’t seem so plausible (he had lost his shoes more times than she could count in those first few months), he might’ve been able to get away with staying in yokai form at school.
But this did have one very important implication
If people couldn’t see Okarun’s full wolf form—or anyone riding on him—then she could absolutely ride him through town and no one would even blink. No more awkward piggyback situations.
And he had said he needed more practice in that form...
Momo lifted her sunglasses as Aira flopped down beside her with a dramatic huff.
She lazily scanned the beach, looking for the boys, and spotted all three of them in the water, standing in a loose triangle. Judging by their gestures, it looked like it was Jiji’s turn again.
Well... two of them were standing. Okarun was doggy paddling in place.
Vamola, still in her bright floaties, was cheering them on from the shallows, knee-deep in water and waving enthusiastically from the shade.
“What’re they doing?” Momo asked, tilting her head toward Aira.
“They’re seeing who can hold their breath the longest,” Aira replied, not even looking up.
“Huh,” Momo muttered, letting her sunglasses slide back down.
A beat passed.
Then she sat up again, blinking. “Wait. Do they know Okarun doesn’t actually need to breathe when he’s like this?”
Aira paused. “No... I don’t think he does,” she said slowly, now staring at the water too.
Both of them sat up fully, watching as all three boys suddenly ducked beneath the surface.
Sakata was the first to resurface, barely thirty seconds in. He came up gasping, and although Vamola cheered for him enthusiastically, he slumped a little, clearly disappointed.
Jiji was next, staying down for well over a minute. Impressive.
She wondered if chi control helped with that.
Maybe. Either way, he burst back to the surface with a dramatic splash... and immediately looked around, his expression falling when he saw no sign of Okarun.
Both he and Sakata scanned the area, growing more frantic as another minute passed. Jiji even started dunking his head underwater, clearly searching.
She couldn’t help herself—she started giggling. Aira, beside her, was already snickering.
They both watched as the two boys splashed around in rising panic, calling out and scanning in every direction.
And then—
With a tremendous burst, a large, shaggy shape erupted from the water behind them, sending up a wave that crashed over both boys and shoved them under with a thundering splash.
Later, as the trio waded back onto the beach—Jiji looking delighted, Sakata considerably less so—Momo spotted Okarun grinning as he padded toward her, fur soaked and dripping.
She was ready this time. Learned from last time, thank you very much.
Before he could even get close, a massive teal wall rose up in front of her, shielding her from the incoming soggy menace.
Okarun blinked at her, ears tilted down in confusion, but Momo just leaned back with a smug smile as he was forced to retreat.
Instead, she got to watch with great satisfaction as Jiji and Sakata, still standing too close, were treated to a faceful of seawater when Okarun shook himself dry, spraying droplets everywhere.
Her next round of free entertainment came when someone pulled out a frisbee.
And oh. These poor suckers.
Okarun was already great at fetch—training, as he insisted on calling it. But now? In full wolf form? That frisbee didn’t stand a chance.
It quickly turned into a full-blown competition between Evil Eye and Okarun, with Aira and Vamola using their powers—and Vamola’s suit—to launch the disc as high and far as possible. The goal: see who could catch it first.
She knew where her money was.
And sure enough, Okarun was dominating—snatching the frisbee out of the air most of the time with effortless, almost ridiculous grace.
Though not every time. Now and then, she noticed him hesitate just a fraction before sprinting. She narrowed her eyes.
He was totally letting Evil Eye win.
Big sap.
She wondered, vaguely, if they could convince Evil Eye this counted as fighting. Their usual practice field was already starting to look worse for wear after all their weekly skirmishes.
Then again, as she watched Okarun launch himself off a rock (apparently the sand wasn’t great for jumping) with enough force to split it clean in two, before soaring a good twenty meters through the air and catching the frisbee squarely between his jaws...
Yeah. No matter where they trained, the surrounding area was probably doomed.
“All right!” She called out, cracking her knuckles as she stood up from her sunbathing spot. “Let me show you losers how it’s done.”
Vamola beamed and held out the frisbee with both hands. She took it, testing its weight with a thoughtful squint.
Then, without warning, she whipped it in the opposite direction—using her powers to launch it at full strength.
Okarun took off in a blur of white and red, streaking across the sand after it. He caught up just before it could hit the ground, returning at a brisk trot with the disc clenched proudly in his jaws and a spark of challenge in his eyes.
They kept at it—again and again—with her throwing the disc high, far, and fast, each toss stronger than the last. And every time, Okarun managed to leap, twist, or dash fast enough to catch it mid-air.
Apparently, without the limits of a human body (and with the full moon boosting him) Okarun wasn’t limited to just two or three “all-out” bursts of speed.
He was relentless.
Eventually, her psychic strength got a little ahead of her. The poor frisbee wobbled mid-air, then promptly gave up the ghost, dissolving into sad, plastic pieces mid-flight.
Okarun yawned, somehow tired despite the energy still buzzing through him. It seemed like everyone had finally calmed down and wandered back toward their little base area.
Momo was still there, stretched out in the sun, watching him with a grin. He had a feeling she’d spent most of the time watching and laughing at him.
He padded over, his paws sinking into the soft sand, and flopped down next to her with a huff. His tongue lolled out on instinct for a second before he caught himself and pulled it back.
Momo snickered.
“You okay there, Okarun?” she asked, reaching over to pet his head.
The sun and sand felt amazing against his fur. With a content sigh, he rolled onto his back and stretched out luxuriously, giving a full-body shake as he arched his spine. He could feel (and even hear) his joints cracking, which was weird, considering he was pretty sure he didn’t technically have bones in this form.
Still, he stretched everything—right down to the toes on his back legs—before melting back into the sand with a satisfied shudder.
“Biiig stretch,” Momo quipped.
“Mhm,” he murmured, too comfortable to argue about the dog joke, eyes drifting closed.
Only to shoot open again with a sudden oomph as something heavy landed on his chest. Then something (someone) started burrowing into the thick fur there.
“Aha! It’s so soft,” Momo declared triumphantly. “You were hiding this last time, Okarun!”
He wasn’t hiding it, thank you very much. He had just been wearing significantly more clothing.
“Momo… you’re heavy,” he quipped, trying to crane his head enough to see her.
“Excuse me?!” she gasped, before dramatically shifting all her weight onto him, flopping flat across his stomach. “Care to repeat that?” she asked sweetly, elbows digging into his sides as she rested her chin in her hands.
He grinned up at her, baring a few more teeth than usual.
“I said you’re heavy,” he replied, then—before she could retaliate—he lunged forward, wrapping his forelegs around her. She squeaked in surprise just as he rolled, flipping them both over and pinning her beneath him.
He made sure not to press his full weight into her—not enough to hurt, but definitely enough to make a point.
Momo laughed, squirming beneath him as she tried to wiggle her head free of his fur.
“Okarun! You’re heavy!” she gasped between giggles.
“Care to repeat that?” he teased, grinning down at her.
Alas, he didn’t get to gloat for long.
A pair of enormous teal hands suddenly descended from above and lifted him clean into the air by the scruff of his neck.
After being unceremoniously dropped back to the ground, Okarun was finally allowed to relax for real. He settled onto his side in a more natural position, stretched out and slightly curled.
Within seconds, Momo flopped against him, throwing her arms wide as she melted into his fur.
“Oh my god, Okarun,” she exclaimed, eyes closed as she pressed in further. “You’re so cool.”
“Uh… yay?” he replied, a little uncertain.
“No!” she laughed. “Well, yes. But I mean—you’re cold, dude!”
She moved her hands back and forth across his side, like she was trying to make snow angels in his fur.
“It’s so nice…” she sighed, voice dreamy.
He tried to act nonchalant about it, but his tail betrayed him as always—sweeping back and forth through the sand, creating its own wobbly trail behind him. Momo caught the motion and burst into a fresh round of giggles.
The rest of the group started trickling back, apparently having burned through whatever chaotic energy they had left.
To his surprise, when Vamola approached, Momo perked up and patted his side invitingly.
“Vamola! Come sit with us! Okarun’s cold!”
Without hesitation, she plopped down beside Momo, leaning her whole weight into his side. She let out a happy little sigh.
“Soft,” she said with wonder. “Cool!”
Okarun stared at the two of them now plastered against him and gave an inward groan.
What was he, a damn ice pack?
“Are you two seriously just going to use poor Takakura-san like a sofa?” Shiratori-san asked as she wandered over, a bottle of water in hand.
Momo must’ve been in a good mood, because instead of snapping back, she just laughed.
“Come join us, skank,” she said sweetly. “The water’s fine.”
To emphasize the point, she ran her hand slowly through his fur, like she was testing the temperature of a bath.
Shiratori-san took a step forward, then hesitated. “Takakura-san?” she asked, glancing at him for confirmation.
Well, at least she asked.
“S’fine,” he mumbled, burying his head in his paws in a half-hearted attempt to hide the grin tugging at his muzzle.
His tail, unfortunately, gave him away as always, sweeping rhythmically through the sand.
Shiratori-san joined them, squeezing into the curve of his body with Momo and Vamola. The three of them just barely fit within the crook of his side, nestled together like a pile of cats.
A few moments later, Jiji and Sakata strolled over.
“Hey! You guys didn’t tell us there was a group hug happening,” Jiji called brightly. “Are we invited too?”
“Kinta!” Vamola exclaimed, lighting up. “Takakura is cold!”
Sakata, already a little red in the face from the heat, visibly perked up. “R-really?”
Okarun snorted.
“Feel free,” he said with exaggerated resignation, though he wasn’t sure there was much room left.
Apparently, there was.
Jiji and Sakata circled around and flopped down against his back without hesitation.
“Oh man, Vam-Vam’s right!” Jiji said, spreading his arms across Okarun’s fur like it was the most luxurious beanbag on earth.
Sakata only let out a low, deeply satisfied sigh.
Okarun stared off into the distance, trying very hard not to think about how much sweat was probably being absorbed into his fur at that exact moment.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness settled in, Jiji suddenly spoke up, eyes bright with excitement.
“Let’s build a bonfire!”
“A bonfire?” Shiratori-san raised a brow. “Come on, it’s way too hot for that!”
She wasn’t wrong. The air was still thick and heavy with lingering summer heat.
Though, Okarun had a feeling it was bothering him less than the others, despite the fur. He vaguely wondered if he was subconsciously leaking out even more cold spiritual energy to compensate.
But with Momo still pressed up against him, he barely felt the drain at all.
Still using him as an icepack...
“But I brought stuff for s’mores…” Jiji whined. “Come on, Aira…”
He clasped his hands together, putting on his best pitiful expression. “Evil Eye was really looking forward to it…”
Shiratori-san threw up her hands with a dramatic scoff, but stood anyway. “Fine.”
“Come on,” she added, pointing around the group. “I don’t trust you to set it up without supervision. Everyone else, too!”
“Woop!” Jiji cheered, already sprinting after her with arms outstretched like an overexcited kid.
Okarun stood and gave a long stretch, jaws parting in a wide yawn. He caught Momo grinning at him and snapped his mouth shut before she got any ideas.
But instead of teasing him, she practically leapt on top of him, settling herself comfortably across his back.
“You have legs, you know,” he groused, tilting his head back to look at her.
The sky was quickly replaced by her mischievous grin, her earrings dangling playfully above his face.
“But then I wouldn’t be able to do this,” she said. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead, right between his eyes. Her earrings brushed the tufts of fur along his cheeks, tickling him.
Then her nose scrunched in sudden disgust. She recoiled fast, spitting dramatically.
“Peh! Peh! Ugh—Okarun!”
He blinked, ears flicking back innocently.
“Your fur’s full of sand!” she said, glaring at him with theatrical indignation.
He let out a snort, a wheezing sort of laugh escaping between his teeth.
Still, he let her stay perched on him as he lumbered toward the others, who were already gathered around piles of driftwood.
Momo immediately started grabbing every sizable piece in sight, only for him to stop her and point off to the side with a grunt.
“Rotten,” he said simply, sniffing at one chunk with a wrinkled nose.
She groaned but listened, reluctantly dumping half of what she’d picked up.
Eventually, everyone chipped in, each hauling something toward the fire. Momo and Vamola did the lion’s share, thanks to Momo’s spectral hands and Vamola’s kaiju suit. Sakata pushed up his glasses, balancing a few small twigs under one arm with the quiet dignity of a man who had given up trying to keep up.
Okarun stood off to the side for a moment, feeling a bit useless without hands—until he spotted one of the larger logs that looked dry enough. He bent down, picked it up in his mouth, and began carrying it toward the fire pit.
From above him came a barely suppressed snort.
He paused, log still between his teeth, and slowly turned his head toward his back.
Momo was doing a terrible job of looking innocent.
It wasn’t long before they had a cozy bonfire going. It might have been a little too large for the size of their group, but Jiji and Momo had been enthusiastic.
Vamola—perhaps unsurprisingly adept at constructing fires—had taken the lead. She and Sakata worked together with surprising coordination, building an impressive stack from their eclectic pile of firewood.
The previously mentioned s’more ingredients had been brought out, but Okarun was running into a bit of a problem.
Even if he was begrudgingly starting to accept being a wolf (at least sometimes) not having hands was still really inconvenient.
“Neh, Okarun,” Momo said, nudging him with her elbow. “Want me to feed ya?”
He huffed and lowered his head onto his paws. “Don’t really have a choice, do I?”
Still, he nudged his snout into her arm, just to make sure she knew he was kidding.
About twenty minutes later, Momo sat beside him, holding her own s’more in one hand while deftly assembling another using her spectral fingers.
She held it out toward him, and he opened his mouth in eager anticipation, only for the treat to stop just short of his nose.
The warm scent of melted chocolate and toasted marshmallow drifted toward him, taunting him with its sweetness.
“Hang on…” she said mischievously, a grin spreading across her face. “Are we sure you can eat this? It’s chocolate, after all.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Momo...” he warned, tone flat. “You know it’s fine.”
She took a bite of her own s’more, speaking around the gooey mouthful. “Maybe before, yeah—but right now you’re like… an actual wolf. What if it’s different?”
She popped the last bit into her mouth and chewed it slowly, clearly enjoying herself.
“I don’t want to get my ass kicked by Turbo Granny if I accidentally poison her grandson.”
“Stop teasing me…” he grumbled. He tried to growl, to sound at least somewhat threatening, but it came out more like a plaintive whine.
“Who’s teasing?” she said, laughter bubbling up in her throat. “I’m just being careful. Maybe it’s safer if I eat this instead.”
She dangled the s’more just out of reach, her spectral hand swaying back and forth in front of him.
Something in him twitched.
He wasn’t sure if it was some kind of wolf-yokai instinct or if he was simply fed up with Momo’s nonsense.
He would never bite her real hand (despite her best efforts), but her spiritual constructs were fair game. They always dissipated harmlessly if damaged.
Right now, she was watching him with that smug little sparkle in her eye, waving the s’more like bait.
So he lunged forward, jaws snapping open, and chomped down on the spectral hand—s’more and all. His teeth clamped shut more carefully after the initial bite, just in case.
Momo screeched. Her real hand flew back as her powers dissolved into shimmering motes of teal light.
His mouth flooded with a pleasantly warm buzz of her psychic energy, quickly fading to leave behind gooey marshmallow and rich chocolate.
He chewed slowly and deliberately, savoring every bite. Then, locking eyes with her, he swallowed with exaggerated ceremony and even licked his chops for good measure.
His tail thumped once against the sand, a slow and satisfied wag.
“Okarun!” she gasped, scandalized. “I can’t believe you just did that!”
“You were teasing me,” he said simply, deadpan.
“Ugh, my hand feels wet!” she groaned, shaking out her very real fingers as if trying to fling off phantom slobber. “Why does it still feel wet?!”
She flopped down against his side with a theatrical sigh, sinking into his thick fur.
“You suck,” she mumbled, staring up at the stars.
With great ceremony, he swept his tail over and gave her a gentle whap across the face.
“I told you not to tease me,” he said, his voice smug.
“You jerk!” Momo yelped, springing upright. She lunged for him, fingers still coated in melted marshmallow and chocolate.
He yelped in return, scrambling backward—but being that big, and on loose sand, he wasn’t going anywhere fast.
Moments later, he was treated to the delightful sensation of both his fur and glasses being smeared with chocolate and marshmallow, as Momo giggled with her face mashed up against his own.
After extracting a begrudging apology from him, Momo had finally grabbed some wipes to clean the mess off his face, and hers.
A little while later, everyone was suitably stuffed and lounging around the dying campfire, their voices low and drowsy. He was curled slightly around Momo, who seemed perfectly content to use him as a sofa. One hand rested on his head, her fingers occasionally brushing behind his ears in slow, absent-minded motions.
The moon hung bright in the sky. He was snuggled up with his girlfriend, surrounded by his friends. And even though he was stuck as a wolf… it felt okay. Maybe even good.
The buzzing energy that had thrummed under his skin all day had settled into a warm, sleepy calm. He felt like he could doze off right then and there.
“Hey, Okarun?” Momo said softly, just as his eyes were starting to drift shut.
“Yeah?” he murmured, barely lifting his head.
“I just realized... you probably don’t fit in the van anymore.”
There was a beat of silence.
“…Dammit.”