Katsuo gently picked up the photo, cradling it in his hands.
Hinata walked up to him.
"Katsuo, I think it's time to…" She held his arm. He sighed.
"Okay…" He transformed into a blade, which Hinata gently sheathed.
"They can't stay in that form for very long. It taxes my energy."
Cinthia finally calmed down enough to wander back towards the group, this time with Moko perched on her shoulders. He was like a black cross between a fennec fox and a cat and a hint of a bat, with large ears, bushy tail, bat wings, large yellow eyes, and long and nimble legs. He was slightly larger than the typical house cat–and much more affectionate.
Hinata saw Cinthia coming.
"Hey, see you de-" Hinata spotted Moko and squeeled.
"Awitlookslikealittlefoxthey'resoadoribleohmystars-" Hinata ran over to Cinthia.
Tiak laughed at Hinata’s reaction looking over at Gavrin. Gavrin was staring at Moko, magic swirling around his big paws and tail, then frustratedly gave up on whatever he was doing.
She yelped and jumped in surprise, jolting Moko in the process and almost knocking him off balance. He hissed at Hinata in a knee-jerk response, flattening his ears.
Milly giggled at her excitement and flew over to look at the creature.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I'm just a huge fan of foxes. Or fox-like beings. Basically, if it looks semi-foxish, I'm all for it." Hinata smiled.
"Just like my husband."
Cinthia blinked, confused, then scratched Moko's chin to get him to calm down. "It's all good. Just let him come to you first."
The demon perked its large ears up again, twisting them around at all of the different people, and bobbed his head in the air while he sniffed Hinata from a distance.
Gavrin closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped them open, staring at Moko.
“You’re a demon. In a physical form. Your…” Gavrin’s eyes glinted in fear. He dashed away from Moko, trying to put as much distance between him and the adorable little creature as possible.
Hinata smiled. Perhaps she should have them meet her husband. And her other friends. She reached for her case.
Hinata froze.
"A demon, you say? Kinda like a kitsune?"
Cinthia tilted her head at Gavrin. "Umm, what?" She ruffled Moko's ears, and he cooed in response, rubbing up against her curls affectionately. "He's not the demon to fear."
She looked at Hinata. "I dunno. Where I'm from, kitsune aren't exactly considered to be demons. Quite the contrary, actually. I have a friend who's a kitsune."
Milly watched the adorable creature, her eyes filled with stars, “Oh my stars, my bright colorful stars! How precious! Why he’s almost as big as me!”
"Me too. Well, he's a robot kitsune." A muffled shout came from the case.
Moko chirruped and climbed over Cinthia's head, making his master look done with life as he did so, then turned his attention to the case. As a spying familiar–his name actually meaning 'spy' in Cinthia's native tongue–he was always inquisitive and paid attention to the littlest things.
(I've noticed a theme whenever I bring up Cin's two familiars…)
Cinthia tilted her head at Gavrin. "Umm, what?" She ruffled Moko's ears, and he cooed in response, rubbing up against her curls affectionately. "He's not the demon to fear."
She looked at Hinata. "I dunno. Where I'm from, kitsune aren't exactly considered to be demons. Quite the contrary, actually. I have a friend who's a kitsune.”
“Back home, General Lorrehlyl has been bound to a demon. She has become a murdurer and a psychopath. My kingdom does everything they can to stop demons from manifesting in the physical world, and you carry one around on your shoulder.”
Moko chirruped and climbed over Cinthia's head, making his master look done with life as he did so, then turned his attention to the case. As a spying familiar–his name actually meaning 'spy' in Cinthia's native tongue–he was always inquisitive and paid attention to the littlest things.
Hinata held a finger to her lips. She wasn't ready for them to come out yet.
Cinthia couldn't help but smile slightly at Gavrin's response. "All three of my familiars are demons. Malaki is a Drake, Moko's an Orza, and Hazsudo is a Gryph. Drakes and Orzas are types of shadow demons, and Gryphs are basically permanent baby Griffins." She twirled a thoughtful finger in the air. "I'm also allied with three demon kingdoms."
Another yell came from the case.
"I think you should get that."
"…Yeah, I think so too." Hinata set the case down and cracked the top open.
"What in the dear good Lord's name is going on in here?!"
"He pulling my tail!" A small voice shouted up.
"CK, stop touching Rose's tail!"
"But Hinata!!"
"No buts!"
A murmur came out of the case.
"I can't hear you!"
"YES HINATA!" CK yelled.
"Better be!" Hinata closed the case.
Cinthia smothered her laugh. "Sounds just like me trying to control my group–except I have fifteen children to contain. More than a few of them just enjoy pushing my buttons."
Cinthia couldn't help but smile slightly at Gavrin's response. "All three of my familiars are demons. Malaki is a Drake, Moko's an Orza, and Hazsudo is a Gryph. Drakes and Orzas are types of shadow demons, and Gryphs are basically permanent baby Griffins." She twirled a thoughtful finger in the air. "I'm also allied with three demon kingdoms."
Gavrin stared at her in horror, shifting into a falcon and darting up into a tree to perch on a very high branch, out of sight.
Milly barely knew what was happening and just quietly listened to their talk.