Home
Jesse sat alone, enjoying the unique sights the Bronze had to offer. Okay so the paint was pealing and the pipes were rusting, but on the bright side the AC was busted so the view of the crowded dance floor was stunning. The view of that girl who was wearing the white shirt and no bra was enough for the young man to thank every god he knew of.
For a moment he wished that his friends could be there with him, but Willow was working on her magic tonight, while John and Joy were going out on a date. He had thought that Xander would be a safe bet, but for a guy that was smart enough to quit school he sure was dumb as far as remembering that when you were out of school you were supposed to have fun. Buffy and Faith were going to come by after their patrol, but for the moment he was flying solo.
Jesse didn't have much time to figure out if he was happy being on his own or not, because at that moment a walking dream came into the club and all his higher brain functions immediately shut down. She was Asian like Joy, but she had died her short hair an electric blue. Of course Jesse had only noticed those two attributes after he had carefully inspected the way her white jeans hugged her every curve, and the way that she had left the first three buttons of her red blouse undone, giving tantalizing hints of what they were hiding.
In the back of his mind Jesse recognized Xander's voice telling him to ask her to dance, that all women liked to dance, but for some reason he couldn't move his legs. It wouldn't have made a difference if he had though, she was blowing off the jocks left and right, there's no way he would stand a chance if he asked her.
"Hey, is this seat taken?" asked the girl as soon as she came to Jesse's table.
"Ah no, not taken," said Jesse.
"Thanks," said the girl. "I really didn't want to talk with someone who would leave as soon as someone better looking walked through the door."
"Personally I don't think God is kind enough to make anything that looks better than you do at this moment," said Jesse, and he mentally put a mark on his mental score board when she smiled. Who needed dancing when you made comments like that?
"That's sweet," said the girl as she looked him directly in his eyes, and what Jesse saw sent an unpleasant chill down his spine. She had yellow eyes, and from what he knew yellow eyes usually meant very bad things.
Jesse tried to calm himself down, and dismiss the yellow eyes as something unimportant. When a vampire got yellow eyes they also had fangs and a deformed face going on, so not vampire. Maybe they were just contacts?
"Nice eyes," said Jesse after a few moments of frozen silence.
"Most people comment on the hair first, but thanks for the compliment," said the girl.
"So, do you want to dance?" asked Jesse when he realized that the possibility of them being completely natural was still on the table and he had to come up with a way to say alive if she decided to attack him. He figured that he would have a better chance of running for his life on the dance floor if she tried to kill him. Yeah that was why he wanted to get her on the dance floor; it had nothing to do with him wanting to see her move, and possibly see just how her blouse would look when molded itself to her body when she started to sweat.
Self preservation was overrated, and if he died tonight it would be with a smile on his face.
"It's about time, I thought you'd never ask me," said the girl as she sprang from her seat, causing her hair and other parts of her body to bounce in ways Jesse couldn't ignore, and quickly dragged Jesse over to the dance floor.
The dance was everything every part of his mind had wanted, and then some. Half way through Jesse gave up any thought of bolting for the door, and it wasn't because of the very nice way her body moved, though he really enjoyed that part. The part that made him stay was the way that her eyes didn't hold a hint of violence in them; he honestly couldn't see her hurting anyone.
And of course it was at this perfect moment where he was beginning to touch on previously unknown depths that the sheep squad walked up and ruined it. The sad part was that he had thought these thoughts for such a brief amount of time that he instantly forgot them the second the train of thought was broken.
"My God, would you look at those cheep clothes?" Aura stage whispered to Harmony and Deja.
"You'd think with all the money Harris has now he could afford better entertainment for his friends," said Harmony in a loud voice, deciding not to even bother with pretending that she was trying to keep her comments from reaching the new girls ears. Apparently the girls hadn't liked how their dates had left them earlier and they had decided to get their revenge.
"Well she looks the type," said Deja with a sneer, as she looked at the girl in distain.
"Pull the claws in ladies. You shouldn't be jealous, after all you can always have your daddy's buy you a better body," said Jesse deciding to stick up for the new girl. Okay so with those words he had just killed any chance of fulfilling his fantasy involving the entire cheer squad and whip cream, but at the moment he really didn't care.
"Excuse us, but did we give you permission to speak?!" snapped Harmony as she spared Jesse a bit of the glare she was giving the new girl. "Why don't you take your pre-paid dance toy somewhere else, and leave the dance floor for those of us who don't have to make a living on our back."
Now if anyone had decided to look at the new girl they would have noticed two things, the first and most obvious thing would be how she was shaking in rage. This wouldn't be an unexpected sight, any woman that had been subjected to similar insults would be doing something similar, but the second slightly less noticeable thing would be the soft glow coming from her eyes.
"Come on, we're leaving," said the girl as she grabbed Jesse by his shirt collar and pulled him away from the trio of girls who were all wearing nasty smiles as they savored their victory.
"We don't have to leave, and you really shouldn't let them win," said Jesse as he allowed himself to be led from the dance floor.
"Oh I'm not letting them win," said the girl with a glint in her eye, and a fox like smirk growing on her face.
Just as Jesse was about to ask what she meant he heard a hiss, and then the sound of falling water followed by three high pitched shrieks. Turning around he saw that Harmony and her sheep were covered by some dark gunk, and when the smell hit him it became obvious that the girls had been covered in the contents of the sewer pipe.
It wasn't long before everyone was either running from the three sewage covered teens or laughing at them. The truly smart ones though were the ones that did both at the same time, because those were the one who were out of range as the cheerleaders started to hurl the noxious gunk at the laughers in a blind fury.
"I saw the pipe cracking, if they had been nicer I would have warned them," said the girl with a smile.
"Well this place is a bust, do you want to hit the arcade for half an hour before it closes?" asked Jesse as soon as he was able to stop laughing. Harmony and her gang had thrown a couple of sewage balls at him and the new girl, but they had already been out of range.
"Not right now, I'm too tired from the dance so I'm going to go and crash," said the girl as she started to walk away.
"Okay, just be careful," said Jesse. "Wait as second, I never got your name!"
"You never asked!" shouted the girl as she continued to walk away, a playful smile plastered on her face.
"Well I'm asking now!" shouted back Jesse as he tried to hold back another bout of laughing. This girl was as sexy as Faith and had his sense of humor, he had to get her name.
"Yoshiko Nogitsune! Now it's your turn!" yelled Yoshiko.
"Jesse McNally!"
"See you around Jesse!" shouted Yoshiko right before she disapeared into the shadows.
"Only if God is kind," said Jesse with a smile, a smile that turned into a large grin as he spotten the three very expensive cars, each of wich had four very flat tires. He didn't know who had slashed the tires of the cars belonging to Harmony and her friends, but if he ever found out he'd buy then what ever they wanted at the fast food restraunt of their choice.
"Guess who?" asked a perky voice as two hands covered Jesse's eyes just as he was about to achieve the high score.
"Someone who will die in five seconds if they aren't a beautiful woman," said Jesse as he heard the distinct sounds of his space ship being destroyed.
"I guess I qualify then," said Yoshiko as she removed her hands from Jesse's eyes, and bounced into his line of sight. "Unless you've changed your mind since the last time I saw you."
"You qualify and then some," said Jesse as all thoughts of videogames left his head, along with a decent amount of blood.
"So what are you up too?" asked Yoshiko.
"Well I was trying to defend my place as the king of this game, but that can wait for a while," said Jesse. "Want to join me for a two player game?"
"I don't think I should, me and video games never seem to get along," said Yoshiko as she bit her lower lip.
"Come on, I'll teach you. I've spent so much time in here that I've learned all the cheats. I guarantee that if you stick with me you'll have your initials in the top ten by the time we leave," said Jesse in a confidant voice.
"Okay, but you owe me an ice cream if I don't get on the top ten," said Yoshiko.
"Deal," said Jesse as he directed Yoshiko over to the easiest fighting game in the arcade. He, Willow, and John had filled the top ten with their initials during the year that Xander had disappeared, and Jesse was sure that he could get Yoshiko in the number ten spot after just a couple of hours.
"Okay to start off we'll do some two player mode so you can get the hang of your characters moves," said Jesse as he picked an inhuman male character and Yoshiko picked the good looking but deadly female character.
Imagine Jesse's surprise when Yoshiko pressed one button, just one button, and her character immediately decapitated herself.
"I didn't think that was even possible," muttered Jesse as he watched the bloody, severed body part roll around on the screen.
"I told you video games hate me," said Yoshiko.
"Nah, it was probably just a glitch in the system," said Jesse. "Pump in some more quarters and I'll show you an easy combo for that character."
"Okay, I just hope you're paid up on your medical insurance," said Yoshiko.
Not taking any chances Jesse showed Yoshiko how to do the combo using her controls.
"You got it?" asked Jesse after he had showed Yoshiko the combo five times.
"Yeah, let me give it a shot," said Yoshiko as she took Jesse's place and quickly punched in the same combination of buttons, but to vastly different effects. To her credit her character did attack Jesse's character, but it was a much more powerful attack than it should have been.
Jesse watched in stunned awe as Yoshiko's attack burned the flesh from his character, and it didn't stop there. The blinding energy attack shook the pixilated room where the two characters were fighting, toppling pillars and cracking the floor.
"What the Hell are you kids doing?!" shouted the Arcade manager as he saw the black smoke rising from one of his best money makers.
"Run!" shouted Yoshiko as she bolted for the door, Jesse close on her heels.
"GET BACK HERE!" yelled the manager as he waddled out from behind the counter, but the two teens were already out of the door.
"You know what this means don't you?" asked Yoshiko as she sprinted down the street as if she was bourn to run.
"That *huff* I'm never *puff* letting you play on my home system?" said Jesse as he struggled to keep up with what he believed was a future Olympic competitor.
"Nope, you owe me ice cream!" said Yoshiko with a smile that would have taken Jesse's breath away if he had any to spare.
"So what's your class schedule? I looked for you on Friday, but I didn't see you," said Jesse as he took a lick of his peppermint ice cream. He probably would have given in to ice cream even if they hadn't run a marathon, the bright California sun was doing it's best to convince everyone that it was July instead of the end of September.
"I don't go to school," said Yoshiko as she devoured her strawberry ice cream with a look of pure bliss on her face. "I'm home schooled, and my parents decided to let me go on a road trip, so here I am."
"Let me get this straight, your parents give you permission to go anywhere in the country, and you choose Sunnydale?" asked Jesse in shock.
"Hey, I happen to think that small town are interesting. Everyone seems to know everything that ever happened, so it's a good way to learn about the town's history," said Yoshiko.
"Trust me Yoshiko, there isn't anything interesting in Sunnydale's past," said Jesse in a slightly nervous voice. He really liked Yoshiko, but if she was pocking around without family she could get into a lot of trouble.
"Are you kidding?! Did you know that ever since it was founded the office of Mayor was handed down from father to son like some kind of monarchy? That means whoever wins this election will be the first Mayor your town has ever had that doesn't have the last name Wilkins," said Yoshiko in an enthused voice.
"Great, I'm dating a history geek," muttered Jesse before saying in a louder voice. "Just be careful, small town have big secrets, so some people wouldn't like you poking around."
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," said Yoshiko in a confidant manner. The truth was that she spoke those words with such confidence that Jesse would have believed her, if she didn't let out a high pitched shriek five seconds later, and climbed up a tree so fast Jesse was surprised she didn't break the sound barrier.
"Yoshiko, what wrong?" asked Jesse half a second before he was knocked to the ground by a very large St. Bernard who immediately started to bark at Yoshiko.
"Bad Mozart, bad dog," said a voice that Jesse just barely recognized as being female.
"Did someone else see the train that just hit me?" asked Jesse as he opened his eyes to see a woman in her mid twenties trying to pull the St. Bernard away from the tree.
"I'm so sorry about this, he's usually better behaved than this," said the woman as she gestured to the large dog who was barking his head off at Yoshiko.
"Yeah, let me just give you a hand here," said Jesse as he helped the woman pull on the leash.
Together the two were able to get the large dog away from Yoshiko's tree in just ten minutes, and about a gallon of dog drool.
"Like I said I'm really sorry about this, Mozart doesn't usually do this kind of thing," said the slight woman.
"No problem, just get him far enough away so that my girlfriend can get down from the tree," said Jesse.
"Girlfriend?" asked Yoshiko from her perch.
"Uh yeah, sorry it just slipped out," said Jesse.
"Don't apologize, I like it," said Yoshiko as she jumped to the ground. "You can be my road trip romance."
"I can live with that," said Jesse before the two lapsed into silence, a silence that Jesse felt he had to end by saying the worst thing he possibly could say. "So you can take care of yourself huh?"
The glare that Yoshiko sent his way would have been enough to boil water, and Jesse silently cursed himself for following Xander's example in antagonizing women. Just because Xander was his brother in all but blood didn't mean that they both had to be suicidal.
"I don't like dogs, okay?" growled Yoshiko, her yellow eyes glinting dangerously.
"Okay, okay," said Jesse as he held his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. "Just do me one favor though, don't invite anyone in after dark."
"No one?" asked Yoshiko as she raised a single eyebrow.
"No one," said Jesse.
"That's too bad, because I was planning to invite you over tonight so we could officially celebrate becoming your girlfriend," said Yoshiko in a voice that Faith would be jealous of. A voice that forcibly reminded Jesse that Yoshiko was a very sexy woman, and he was teenage boy full of the usual hormones.
"Hey it's not dark yet, invite me in now, that why curtains were invented," said Jesse in a voice that completely failed to hide his eagerness.
"When you're covered in dog drool? Sorry, maybe some other time," said Yoshiko with a bit of a laugh as she turned around and started to walk away.
"That's why they invented showers!" Jesse called after her, but knowing that he had already missed his chance.
"Hey Jesse," said Yoshiko as she walked towards Jesse, her ever-present mischievous smile firmly on her face.
"Hey Yoshiko," said Jesse, who had gotten used to Yoshiko finding him, even though he couldn't find a trace of her when she didn't want to be found.
"So what's up?" asked Yoshiko as she wrapped her arms around Jesse, much to Jesse's enjoyment.
"Not much, I was just killing a couple of hours before going to the Bronze," said Jesse.
"Don't you ever have homework?" asked Yoshiko.
"Ah the ignorance of home schooling. If you had a decent public education then you would know that due dates are closer to suggestions of when teachers want an assignment turned in, and if there is one thing males around the world have perfected it's ignoring suggestions," said Jesse.
"In that case I guess I'll have to be less subtle," said Yoshiko as she turned Jesse's head toward hers and pressed her lips to his.
After forty five seconds the couple had gathered a bit of a crowd, something that they had no problem ignoring. At a minute and a half Jesse noticed that oxygen was becoming an issue, but figured that this was the way he was meant to go. Finally at one minute fifty six seconds the couple broke apart to an almost thundering applause of teens that were walking home after a day of school.
"Wow," said Jesse as he fought to regain his breath.
"Yeah," said Yoshiko, her yellow eyes glazed over. "I got to say, my parents have completely overstated the importance of being subtle."
"So, like I said, I have a few hours to kill before I meet my friends at the Bronze," said Jesse.
"Sorry, but no," said Yoshiko in a voice that indicated she wasn't too sure about her answer. "Right now I'm afraid if we spend the whole time doing what we just did, we may do something more and I'm not ready for that."
"I understand," said Jesse. "I won't push you to do anything you don't want to do, but right now I'm really hoping that we can do some more of what we just did sometime soon."
"Don't worry, I think we can do that some more, just nowhere where it could lead to more," said Yoshiko.
"How about the Bronze?" suggested Jesse. "It has dark corners where people can make out, but it's public so we wouldn't do anything more than make out. Plus I'd finally get to introduce you to my friends."
"So we've reached the point where you show me off to your friends, huh?" asked Yoshiko with a smile.
"Hey, it's not like this is going to be one sided. I get to show my friends that I really am dating the most beautiful woman in town, and you get to find out all the embarrassing stories that only my friends know," said Jesse with a reassuring grin.
"Well when you put it that way, I'll be there at six," said Yoshiko as she started to walk away.
Jesse smiled confidant that he was getting the better part of the deal, he had some real good friends, and they wouldn't spill anything that was too bad. Well Willow was probably still a little mad about that joke he had made today, and Xander may let one or two comments slip.
Faith, he had completely forgotten about Faith! Oh man, he was so dead.
"So when are we going to meet this mysterious girlfriend of yours bro?" asked Xander in what had become a running gag among the gang.
"I still have five bucks on her being a demon," said Faith.
"For the last time, she isn't a demon," said Jesse in an exasperated voice. "I hunt demons, I don't date them."
"From what I've heard the two aren't exactly mutually exclusive," said Faith as she glanced at Xander for some reason.
"Whatever," said Jesse as he rolled his eyes. "Anyway you should meet her in about fifteen minutes, so can you tone down the demon talk?"
"You mean have an entire night where we don't talk about the things that go bump in the night? Sorry, but I don't think it's possible," said Buffy.
"Especially now that you don't want us to talk about it," said Xander. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this bro, but saying that you don't want something to happen is the best way to make sure it happens, especially if it's something bad."
"Oh come on, there is no way that can be true," said Jesse.
"It is, just watch a scary movie if you want proof," said Tara with a blush.
"Like you've ever seen a scary movie, you're too busy reading those books of yours," said Jesse, who became very satisfied when Tara began to blush.
"Hey, no attacking literacy here, it isn't Tara's fault that you prefer pictures in your books," said Willow as she easily fell into the friendly banter.
"Of course I like the pictures, have you seen some of the drawings in those books?" asked Jesse in a way that made it clear just what pictures he was talking about.
"No I haven't, and somehow I don't think I want to," said a voice from behind Jesse.
Turning around Jesse saw that Yoshiko was standing right behind him, dressed to impress in a tight white top, and baggy red pants. Because his attention was elsewhere Jesse completely missed how Buffy, Faith, and Xander narrowed their eyes at the newcomer.
"Yoshiko, you're early," said Jesse with a slightly nervous smile.
"Cut that out. You're a guy, in fact it's one of your best qualities, so don't act all nervous when I catch you acting like a guy," said Yoshiko as she sat down with the group.
"Does that mean that you won't plot some evil woman revenge for my man slip?" asked Jesse.
"No, it means that I'm waiting until I get some embarrassing dirt on you before I start to plan my woman revenge," said Yoshiko, causing evil smiles to erupt on the faces of the other female occupants of the table.
"Digging for dirt already, huh girl?" asked Faith.
"Yeah, and the best part is that Jesse was the one that suggested it to get me to come here," said Yoshiko with a smile that most predators get right before they devour their prey.
"Jesse, I thought I taught you better than that," said Xander with a groan.
"Well let me do the introduction thing before you get my best friends to turn on me completely. Yoshiko this is Buffy, Faith, Willow, Tara, and Xander. John and Joy are out on the dance floor so I'll introduce you to them later, everyone this is Yoshiko."
"Bit of a mouthful there, you got a nickname?" asked Faith.
"No, but knock yourself out as long as it isn't Yoshi," said Yoshiko.
"Any reason why?" asked Faith with an evil glint in her eye.
"My little brother was obsessed with Super Mario Brothers 3, so for a year he called me 'ugly green lizard' because my name was similar to a character in the game," said Yoshiko.
"Little sibling pain, I can relate," said Buffy with a nod of her head.
"Not like this you can't," grumbled Yoshiko.
"You'd be surprised," said Buffy right before the group lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
"Hey, I'm thirsty, I'll be back in a second Jesse," said Yoshiko as she quickly disappeared into the crowd.
"You know, I'm thirsty too, can I pick you guys up anything?" asked Xander as he stood up, and everyone gave him their order.
"Need any help with the drinks X?" asked Faith as her eyes quickly darted to Yoshiko and back.
"Thanks Faith, but I want to stretch my legs. If it turns out to be too much to handle, I'll call for you," said Xander.
"I'll be listening," said Faith, as Xander followed after Yoshiko.
A few seconds later Xander was standing behind Yoshiko, who was just where she had said she would be.
"You know if I had known that Jesse was friends with the Seraphim I would have left town by now," said Yoshiko as she felt Xander's presence.
"In that case I'm glad you didn't know, I like to know who, and what, my friends are dating," said Xander.
"Listen, can we do this somewhere private?" asked Yoshiko.
"Back alley is usually deserted these days," said Xander as he led Yoshiko to the exit.
"Hey, where did Xander and Yoshiko go?" asked Jesse after glancing towards the bar, but not seeing either of them.
"Don't worry about it, they'll be back," said Faith with a shrug.
"Yeah," said Jesse, not really paying attention. "I'm going to go look for them, just to make sure everything's all right."
"So what are you?" asked Xander as soon as the door shut behind them.
"It'll be easier to show you," said Yoshiko as she closed her eyes. Soon the blue in her hair seemed to melt away, quickly replaced by red, and her ears moved to the top of her head, becoming animal like with soft red fur on the back. The largest change was the full scale fox tail that sprouted from her back end.
"You're a Kitsune, that's your big secret?" asked Xander.
"You mean you aren't going to kill me for dating your friend?" asked Yoshiko, showing her more pronounced canines.
"Why should I? Kitsune are tricksters at worst, and as long as you aren't planning to dump Jesse for kicks we don't have a problem," said Xander with a shrug. "What I do want to know though is why you're here, Kitsune usually avoid Hellmouths."
"That would make three of us," said an elegant looking three tailed fox, as it sat by its four tailed companion.
"Make that four," said Jesse from where he was standing in the doorway in shock, his eyes wide and glued on Yoshiko's new form.
"We're waiting," said the four tailed fox in a masculine voice.
Personally Jesse would have enjoyed it if Yoshiko had waited a few minutes longer so he could digest the bizarre scene that he would have been able to put down as someone simply spiking his drink a year ago.
"Listen, this Hellmouth sounded interesting, different. On all the other Hellmouthes humans get slaughtered and stick their heads in the sand, but here they actually fight back, it's been really interesting to watch," said Yoshiko.
"Regardless you have shamed our family by coming here, and associating with that," said what Jesse assumed was Yoshiko's father, as he gave Jesse a dark look.
"Hey, what's wrong with her hanging out with me?!" cried Jesse in indignation, right before the fox shot him the universal look that all fathers have that said 'this is between me and my daughter, butt out and be grateful I haven't already removed vital parts of your anatomy.'
"To answer your rudely asked question, we Kitsune are almost immortal, while you humans are not, any romance between our two races can only end in heartbreak. More importantly though, I *will not* allow my daughter to carry a half breed child," growled the four tailed fox, showing an impressive amount of teeth.
"Husband, enough," snapped the three tailed fox in a voice that only a mother and wife could use. "I apologize for my husband, he feels strongly about racial purity, despite seeing what those strong feelings can result in during the Second World War."
"No problem," said Jesse as he tried to process the fact that he had just been verbally attacked and defended by multi-tailed foxes. "Wait a second, World War Two? How old are you?"
"I think it's my turn to apologize for another party," said Xander as he tried to hold back a wince.
"Don't bother, Kitsune make age a matter of pride, not shame," said Yoshiko. "I'm one hundred and fifty three years old, my father is four hundred ninety five, and my mother is three hundred and seventy two."
"Oh," was all Jesse had to say to that.
"Come husband, I believe it is a beautiful night for a walk," said the three tailed fox as she stood up on all fours.
"A walk? You would leave our daughter unattended on a Hellmouth?" asked the four tailed fox, his eyes never leaving Jesse.
"She has survived for weeks on her own, and you would realize that she is in no danger if you would simply evaluate the male that isn't enamored with her," said Yoshiko's mother.
At this point Yoshiko's father turned his head away from Jesse, and examined Xander. Apparently he was satisfied with what he saw because he simply stood up and walked away with his wife.
"You know, I think Yoshiko's parents had the right idea, see you around," said Xander as he walked into the shadows. He didn't go too far though because he knew that Yoshiko's parents had just entrusted him with their daughters safety, and the last thing he needed was a family of Kitsune interfering with his operations in Sunnydale because he let one of them die. The thing was he knew what was coming, and he was going to give Jesse and Yoshiko as much privacy as he could while keeping them safe.
"So, you're a redhead huh?" asked Jesse as he looked at the red hair, but not the tail.
"Yeah, it's a family trait," said Yoshiko as her tail twitched nervously.
"Were you ever going to tell me?" asked Jesse.
"No," said Yoshiko as she broke off eye contact.
"Why not?"
"Because you didn't need to know," said Yoshiko. "You were just supposed to be this summer fling, a couple weeks of fun, then I go home."
"I knew that much, but I still wanted to keep in touch, still be friends," said Jesse.
"We still can be friends. I know where you live, so I can send you letters," said Yoshiko with a bit of hope in her eyes.
"That'd be nice," said Jesse. "I need to know though; did I ever have a chance of becoming more with you?"
"No, not really," said Yoshiko. "My dad may be a bit of a jerk, but he's also right about most things. Humans only live for a hundred years if you're lucky, and from what I've been told I could potentially live forever. Add to that the fact that we only age one year for every nine humans age, and then stop aging physically about the time we get our third tail, and you can see how things just can't work out."
"You mean you'd still be a beautiful young woman when I become a decrepit old man. You know, I think that's a sacrifice I'd be willing to make," said Jesse as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"You know, sometimes I think you're more hormones than brains," said Yoshiko with a laugh.
"Daughter, it is time," said a male voice from the shadows, and Jesse could easily identify two pairs of golden eyes gleaming in the night.
"Guess they didn't walk too far," grumbled Jesse.
"They're parents, they won't go too far even after I get married," said Yoshiko with a long suffering sigh.
Then before Jesse's eyes Yoshiko's fox features began to become more and more pronounced, and she began to shrink. In a few short moments a fox had taken the place of the girl he had kissed just a few short hours ago, and the only recognizable feature were the golden eyes that were still gazing into his soul.
"Goodbye Jesse," said the only normal looking fox as she bounded off to join her parents.
"I guess you can come out now," said Jesse after a few moments of just staring into the shadows.
"How'd you know I was here?" asked Xander as he came down the alley.
"Because I know you, there's no way you would go and leave someone to become a Sunnydale snack," said Jesse.
"You going to be okay bro?" asked Xander as he walked up next to his oldest male friend.
"Yeah, like I said, I knew it was short term. As for the other thing, I knew she was a fox the second I saw her, just not literally" said Jesse with a grin.
"Really bad pun man," said Xander with a groan.
"Yeah I guess it was, and that always was more your territory than mine," said Jesse with a smile.
"Hey, my puns were high quality," said Xander as he opened the back door to the Bronze.
"You keep saying that, but you have yet to find someone to agree with you," said Jesse as he entered the Bronze. "Now if you'll excuse me, the women of Sunnydale have been deprived of my attention for far too long."
Jesse sat in his room, the stereo pumped up, and a pen delicately tracing the pencil lines. Like most people doodling relaxed Jesse, and like some so called geeks his age with some artistic talent he dreamed of drawing comic books. His perspective always seemed a bit off, and there was definitely room to improve with the hands, but Jesse was proud of his drawing.
His biggest problem had been that he didn't have any real inspiration for his own original comic. Sure he had his experiences fighting vampires, but it never seemed right drawing those experiences.
However during the past few weeks his mind had been filled with images of a fox-girl with piercing golden eyes and electric blue hair. Every time he started to draw her scenes and stories popped into his head, stories that had had to be told.
"If her dad ever finds out about this, he is going to kill me," said Jesse as he finished inking another panel of 'Yoshiko Nogitsune: Guardian of the Dreaming.'
His history homework of course was left undone and forgotten at the side of his bed.
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