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Being a writer is my dream job but it has full-time hours and doesn't pay the bills. I want to keep writing these stories for everyone to enjoy and your support on Ko-Fi helps make that happen. I also appreciate non-financial support like faving, voting, and following me here or on Twitter or BlueSky. Thank you so much for your continued support! Please enjoy the episode.

And with that out of the way...

Episode 5:

Astral Bonds

"You are late. Again." Came the gruff voice of his father, the colors of that fox coat made silver with time and wisdom, or something like that. White shrine attire hid the rest of the figure, with six flowing tails shifting in timed, silent movements.

"I-...yes, sorry father. I was listening to the spirit of the forest, she's happy we've kept it untouched." Sen bowed low before and during speaking, only rising again at the gruff "Hmph" sound his father made, neither approval nor acceptance of such an answer.

"Did you sweep the grounds, and clean the wardstones at each shrine gate?" His father spoke again, still seated on his knees, back to the entryway of the central shrine. This was how it always went, never eye to eye or speaking to one another as family, "And why did you not remove your shoes?"

Sen frowned down at his slightly dirty shoes and then sighed, stepping backward to slip them off at the doorway. "I'm sorry father. Yes, I did as you asked, and helped Mother water the flower beds outside the grounds." The young kitsune spoke softly, ears splayed knowing there wouldn't be a reply of praise.

"So, listening to the spirits? Since when can you hear them as clearly as I, mm?" The seasoned fox asked with a steady, almost emotionless tone save for the note of constant questioning.

"Nowhere near your skill, father. I merely heard it on the wind, or in my head, I think..." Sen's tail twitched in thought, trying to remember how the gentle voice echoed before, but now seemed like a distant memory to him already.

"Exactly, you don't even know what you heard or how...I doubt you understood the words correctly." The older kitsune exhaled, shifting forward to pick up a teacup to bring up for a long sip, then the sound of an empty clink before a clawed paw came up, signaling for the boy to approach him.

Sen perked up with a barely hidden smile, padding over the smooth and perfectly preserved wooden flooring to stand at the side of his father, swallowing any reply before hearing the words his father wanted to say, what lesson to receive next.

"Bring me more tea, make sure it's adequately hot this time." The six-tailed fox didn't look up, staring instead out of the open double doors of the shrine to the green, painstakingly maintained clearing before it, where an ancient statue of a nine-tailed kitsune stood. It held its paws together as if in prayer, with one eye open looking at the father and son, the other closed with a tear upon its cheek.

"Y-yes, father." Sen knelt down to pick up the tray holding the empty kettle and cup, only to gasp as a strong paw grasped at one of his wrists.

"If you aren't going to take this seriously...this way of life, the traditions we safeguard in this chaotic world...do not return to the shrine. You have dishonored me, and this sacred place enough with your laxity!"

Sen yelped as the eyes of his father widened, and glowed a fierce crimson as fangs snapped at his face. The kitsune sat up in bed with a bark, arms held up to shield his face, but after a moment he dropped his arms with a sigh, realizing where he was.

"The drek was that about...haven't had a dream like that in years." Sen shook his head, then perked his ears at the alarm he'd just beaten on the nightstand. After smacking it off, he grinned hearing the increasingly familiar sound of Angel humming in the kitchen.

Then it came to the surface, the butterflies as Sen remembered the date setup for tonight. His grin broadened at how Moon had surprised him, rewarding his brazen ask of her number, only for the admittedly cute argument with someone he couldn't even see.

"Oooh, somebody looks ex-cit-ed!" Angel spoke from the open doorway, making Sen jump in place with a flail of the covers.

"Woah, dude! Don't DO that!" The kitsune laughed out of embarrassment at how easily the retriever had gotten the drop on him, but the fox shrugged with a grin, "Okay yeah fine, I am. She's cute, kinda weird...but c'mon, how many people are going to want this?"

"Um, excuse you? Sounds like you want to sleep on the couch from now on, sugar. Mhm." Angel feigned insult from that reply, scoffing with a paw at his heart before turning to finish making breakfast, "Cannot believe I heard that, take in this stray, feed 'em..."

Sen smacked his paws onto his face to muffle a laugh as Angel kept muttering on even after turning the corner, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry!"

Once the morning settled down, he found himself again with a breakfast plate, homemade and tasting better than it should, given the ingredients his lover had at his paws. The two ate comfortably on the couch, the rickety table having been reinforced by a sawed-off two-by-four.

"So, where you gonna take her, sugar?" Angel asked while sipping on his soykaf.

"Take her? She is taking my tail out, I ain't got the credits to be going on dates yet, fetch!" Sen laughed as he stabbed another bite of reconstituted eggs.

"Hey, you just got paid, you couldn't have spent it all so quick, Sen?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"Of course not, but I want to help you with rent and food. I'm not just going to freeload off you, Angel," Sen grumbled as he looked over at the other dog next to him.

Angel growled and scooted close, offering a nuzzle against his jaw, his right paw sliding between the kitsune's legs, grabbing a pawful of his crotch through his jeans, the fox yipping as the retriever offered a smug grin. "Here and I thought your tail was payment enough."

"Guh! Cut that out, fetch! Damn!" He barked out and pushed the other dog's paw off his crotch with a laugh, even though his body was already responding to it, telling him he enjoyed that direct approach from his boyfriend.

"Heh... speaking of tail... guess who picked up lube today!" Angel showed the fox a devious grin.

Sen folded his ears with a frown on his muzzle. "Uh... N-not sure I'm ready for that step, I don't think my ass could take-"

"Who said it was for your tail, sugar?" The retriever pushed a paw to his chest as he barked out in a haughty tone, "It won't make me feel any less macho to assume the position and be a bottom for you, I'll just pounce you later to return the favor!"

"Drek face..." Sen muttered with an awkward huff, his mind already whirling about the various gymnastic positions he was going to no doubt end up in with this guy.

"You love me!" Angel barked out and lapped his jaw before flopping back over to the other side of the sofa to sip his soykaf.

--*--

"Hey troublemaker, let's meet up around eight outside of my place, I know a dive with cheap synthol and cheaper food. You know the stuff that is so bad for you, it sends you to heaven!" Moon's voice fed straight into his synaptic feed as he was throwing together an outfit for their date.

"Troublemaker is it?" Sen responded as he brushed out his freshly washed hair, still shaking off the cold shower.

"I'll provide you with a more endearing pet name if the night ends without me lighting your tails on fire, eight o'clock, don't be late."

"Yeah yeah, by the way, how are you doing this? I know you don't have a data output in your synaptic system."

"I'm not going to butcher my body, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the conveniences of technology drek-for-brains, I've got a synaptic set of goggles I wear for this sort of thing."

"Sounds cumbersome," Sen thought.

"It's like a tiny set of glasses, it's no big deal," Moon responded.

"Huh, I bet you'd look cute in glasses!" Sen showed a grin, then perked his ears as his feedback display loaded up a picture of the mouse looking in a mirror with the glasses on, sticking her tongue out. He could already tell she had curled her hair slightly and was wearing some blush on her cheek fur.

"Oh man, you look really cute, Moon!" Sen responded.

"Thanks, I'm sure you'll be looking nice tonight as well, hopefully you like how cute I look when the clothes come off as-" Both of them perked their ears as a priority message hit their networks.

"Hoi! What the hell!?" Angel barked out from the other room as all three of them got the message at the same time.

"Rhinestone, 1900." Was all the message said, sent from Jane.

"Fucking serious!?" Sen barked out loud with a snarl.

"So much for that hot date!" Angel barked out from the other room with a laugh.

"Frag off!" Sen barked back with a snap of his teeth.

"Bitch is already torturing me, guess I'll scratch the itch a little with a toy then see you at work!" Moon responded as Sen's ears shot up at that.

"Hey! At least let me see!" He responded.

"Let me think about it. No." The feed disconnected as he barked out in frustration and snarled at himself in the mirror.

"That's rough, sugar. You want a quickie before we head out?" Angel laughed as he peeked into the tiny bathroom on his boyfriend.

"We'd never finish in time, I know how your 'quickies' end up, fetch!" Sen showed him a small grin and shook his head before following up, "I'll be okay, it's not the end of-" His ears perked as another message fed into his synaptic feed.

It was a picture of Moon wearing her glasses, her top off in a skimpy black bra, her arms folded under it to heft her rather large breasts up, a smug grin showing on her muzzle with a caption under it. "Here's something to tide you over, you perverted fox."

"I take it back, the world is over, I want everything to burn..." Sen snarled and ground his teeth with clenched paws, seeing what he was losing tonight.

"Oh shit! Did she send you something juicy?! Let me see!" Angel hugged him right up with a little bark and nipped his orange-black ear with a playful growl.

"Dude! She'd murder me if she found out!" Sen barked as his boyfriend hugged him up, as if he'd be able to look over his shoulder to see what was in his visual field.

"Who's gonna tell her? Come on!" Angel grinned and wagged his tail.

"Tch... I guess it's not that bad..." Sen shot the picture over to Angel's own network on a secure line in their apartment instead of through the synopsis network.

"Daaamn... those mousey milkers are even bigger than Janes!" Angel barked out with an impressed huff.

"Mousey milkers? What are you, twelve?" Sen grumbled.

"No, about nine and a half, if I were twelve I'd be in the trid-porn industry, sugar!" Angel showed him a smug grin.

"No wonder it always makes my fucking jaw hurt..." Sen grumbled then shoved him out of the tiny bathroom. "Get out so I can get ready to go!"

"Yeah yeah! I'm going, I'm going!" Angel barked as he moved into their bedroom to get his own running gear out.

--*--

"My dogs are always so punctual," Jane cooed out as she folded her paws while sitting in the booth of the club, lasers dancing about, the thrum of synthetic music spilling out beneath them on the lower floor.

"Of course, ma'am, always eager to be of assistance!" Angel responded happily, his golden tail wagging in a blur behind him. Sen looked a little more irritable though.

The rabbit clued in instantly on the glum-looking fox's attitude and showed her teeth in a predatory grin. "Something weighing upon you, my fox?"

Sen perked his ears and shook his head before answering her, "No, sorry, my mind was just wandering, Ms Jane."

She gave him a smirk, seeing he was clearly hiding something but let it be before waving her paw. "Would you like a drink since we have a few before the others get here?"

"Oh, that'd be nice, can I get-" Sen started to answer before Jane held a paw up, then pointed to Steph who gave a snort and stomped right off. An awkward silence hung about the three of them and the chromed-up rabbit flanking her that never spoke. Finally, Sen spoke up, "I could have told you what I wanted, Ms Jane."

"I didn't ask, I asked if you wanted a drink, not what I would give you," Jane responded with a smug grin, her eyes glowing in the dim lights as she folded her paws on the table, then smirked as Steph returned, setting three cocktails out before them.

Each one seemed to spark in the lasers, the same kind she seemed to favor, little glittering stars seeming to shimmer in the synthol as the rabbit lifted one up. "Well?" Both the dogs looked to one another and lifted their own drinks, the trio clinking the glasses together.

Sen took a sip of the drink, it didn't taste like synthol at all, almost like fruit juice, or what he assumed real fruit juice would taste like. A moment later the burn kicked in as he winced a little, rubbing his throat, that awkward sensation coming forth when you'd drink something too hard, a little cough erupting from his throat. Jane just offered him an amused smirk and kept sipping on her own cocktail.

Angel just turned the whole thing up, having the whole drink polished off in a matter of seconds, his tail blurring in a wag before he thunked the glass down, licking his chops as he huffed out in satisfaction.

"Good boy," Jane cooed out, then sat her half-drank cocktail down before looking intently into Sen's eyes. He felt a cold chill crawl up his back at the icy gaze she gave him, his lips about to part to speak when she cut him off, "This job might give you de-ja-vu, my fox."

Sen tried to be cool about things and took another sip of the cocktail, clearing his throat to avoid coughing before answering, "What do you mean, ma'am?"

"Kamui is on my drek-list, but coincidentally, it seems one of their executives has been given a new job offer by an anonymous benefactor, but they don't realize it yet." Jane showed her teeth in another grin as both dogs saw a quick image of the wageslave in question, their name, age, species, and various other information.

"Do you expect them to be happy about this new job transfer, ma'am?" Angel asked with an all business tone.

"No." Jane folded her paws on the table once more as the retriever gave an understanding nod.

Sen pursed his lips but said nothing. He had heard of this sort of thing on a number of occasions. Once again, when you signed on with a megacorp, it was for life, you usually didn't get to put in a resignation letter to go somewhere else, not with a headcomputer full of company information. Likewise, you didn't always get a choice to move positions either. High-value wageslaves sometimes got 'job transfers' and had little say in the matter.

Just as Sen was about to say something, his ears perked, a scent filling his nose he recognized, one that made his stomach twist, the smell of a mouse he'd been flirting with earlier. Sure enough, he turned his head to see Moon or, Scythe as it were in this moment, trotting right up to the table with a crooked little grin on her muzzle.

"Hoi, Jane... long time no see, but not nearly long enough, eh?" She showed her teeth in a smug grin, putting a paw on her hip. She wasn't dressed in the flowing gypsy-style robes he'd seen her in before, she now wore sturdy dark cargo slacks, a snug t-shirt and a ballistic's jacket that clearly had reinforced plates in it. Who said mages had to avoid wearing protective gear in the future after all?

"I appreciate your consideration in this matter, know I consider it a favor to me that you were willing to come back to my warren, Scythe," Jane ground the words out, sitting up straight, one of her eyes flaring to purple, scanning over who knows what.

Scythe sat right down at the booth and Sen gave a small huff as she pushed nice and close, letting her scent of heat tickle his nose as she leaned forward with a smug grin. "Oh I'm sure, and I trust you'll show that appreciation in credits, Ms Jane." As she leaned forward, he caught a shine of metal, realizing she had a quite literal scythe strapped to her back, the blade looking honed to perfection.

The mouse looked up at the fox with a smirk and perked her round ears. "Admiring it, Tanto?" She said his street name without missing a beat, no doubt having been informed of it by Jane before arriving. She withdrew it and laid it right out on the table with a hum. "Only the best for Mantis, she'd accept no other foci... the blade is a high-tempered tungsten, so strong it had to be sharpened with lasers, it'll cut through most chrome like paper, and don't get me started on flesh. The shaft is made from a cursed ebony wood, took me two years to track down the best tree for it, I'll have to share some of the adventures that ensued over it sometime!"

"Are you finished showing off, Scythe?" Jane snarled out in a dry tone.

The mouse offered the rabbit a challenging grin as she gripped the kitsune's real paw and brought it up to run over the shaft of the scythe. "As I was saying, I etched these runes myself, each one representing my spirit companions, there's Dog, Weasel, and even Cat, but Cat has since made a pact with another shaman, but we keep in touch."

"How many spirits do you command, Mo- Scythe?" Sen asked curiously, his tail wagging as she gripped his paw, Angel showing an amused grin, Jane looking ready to spit.

"Command? Tanto, my sweet, I don't command the spirits, we are equals. They help me because they wish to, either because we are bonded as companions like Mantis, or I offer them favors in exchange. Some mages bind spirits to their will, a shaman like me works with them, and mind you if I find any mage's binding spirits while we're working, this scythe will make short work of them!" Scythe's tone of voice seemed to take on more and more heat at the notion of binding spirits.

"May I continue?" Jane finally ground out, drumming her bloody red claws on the table of the booth.

The mouse said nothing as she slid the scythe back into place along her back before pushing nice and close to Sen, as if they were lovers, the rabbit offering a twitch of her one bioware eye that was glowing.

"Time for you to get first-paw experience in how we liberate assets, my fox." Jane huffed from her nose almost guardedly about her latest acquisition, before a hololith came to life displaying the render of the target structure. With a few taps of crimson claw, it rotated about to fixate and highlight several areas, "Now, as always I entrust Angel with extraction, the rest of you support him to your talents."

"Ooh, first time?" Scythe grinned up at Sen, who only seemed to look more flustered with her proximity and the glowing stare from Jane that narrowed at the further interruptions.

"Expect resistance anywhere from fellow razors to vatjob's, this isn't a cakewalk." Jane continued as if the mouse hadn't spoken at all, instead giving a solid tap of a red claw to magnify the holding cell location at the top right of the metroplex, "I expect nothing less than perfect execution, are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" Angel barked like the ever-loyal dog he was, tail blurring in excitement to work on such a significant assignment or continue to reap praise from Jane once home, Sen couldn't tell.

"Transportation is already waiting in the usual bay at the warehouse across the street, so gear up and bring my prize home. Don't hose this, especially you Tanto, you're still paying off your own ass-saving." Jane waved away both the hololith and team, already turning her head to speak to the gleaming custodian at her side.

In short order, the squad went through the small armory that staged as a warehouse across from the club, mostly for Sen to gather a pawful of field items as Angel checked over the extraction gear. Scythe shook her head at all the weapons and contraptions, clicking her tongue seeing the fox strap a secondary side-arm to his thigh.

"Tch, compensating a bit aren't we?" The mouse grinned at the kitsune, who blinked from her gaze to the pistol to her own form.

"Says the half-pint wearing half a tank, yeah?" Sen snorted, "I thought you were a spirit ninja or something, won't they protect you?"

"The Spirits do all they can, but I don't expect or rely on them like you do with guns, drek-face." Scythe stuck her tongue out, stepping past both canines with a huff, making them grin behind her back as she stepped out of the auto-door and into the loading bay.

"Oh great, it gets better!" Scythe groaned a moment later, Sen and Angel following up to the awaiting grav-car to see the mouse glaring at Wheels, "Seriously, what's with you people? You can't have much of a soul in that junkyard husk you call a body!"

"Oh gods I hope not, souls are overrated as hell!" Wheels laughed a retort while gracefully flipping several toggles with a sweeping paw.

"Let's go fussy, we got a schedule to keep!" Angel nudged the mouse inside with a chuckling grin, taking up a position by the back to prepare the jump-gear needed for the heist.

Sen brought up the rear like it was second nature despite being new to the order things went, shifting into the van with a sweep outward, back always to his team in a mechanical motion before the door slid closed.

"You have an auto-pilot or what, don't tell me that eye goes deeper?" Scythe saw the way the fox seemed to go quiet, losing that jovial side as their ride boosted from a stop to whir along the lit launchway.

"No, just lean into my training for this stuff. Helps me focus, I don't want to lose any assets." Sen replied without looking at the mouse, running a few last-minute internals of his augmented arm, his answer meaning both the idea of failing another first mission or one of his newfound family.

--*--

Wheels had perfectly positioned their transport to the weakest sector of the Kamui network, where the sweeps of security were fewest by living or otherwise. Sen found himself even more impressed by Angel, who had slipped from the ride with a no-nonsense attitude to get into position.

"Angel returning to heaven in three, two, one...now!" The rat signaled in time with a swift working of a console, a holo-suite emitting from Bonnie around the retriever just as his 'wings' ignited in small, powerful blue jets. To any onlooker or sensory equipment, the air would just appear displaced about the swiftly rising Angel, shielded in an artificial blindspot by Bonnie's onboard e-war theater.

Wheels turned to look at the mouse with a winking grin, "I got magic too, smoke show, the useful kind, heh!"

Scythe puffed a laugh at the rat, but when Wheels lightly bopped the back of her head, she fussed back at him, "Such disrespect! You better watch yourself!"

"Gah, keep your spooks to yourself, will ya? I was just fooling around, sheesh." Wheels bristled after a chill passed over his inked-up form, with so little flesh left that wasn't beneath a tattoo or augment, the rat had little defense against such techniques.

"At the pearly gates, knocking on heaven's door." Came the voice of the retriever over their network, making the kitsune tense and ready up his primary firearm. A dull thud resounded a few breaths later, and outside Bonnie a shower of debris peppered her hull as the structure above was breached by the high-end charges.

"Uh oh." Came the retriever in a less than assuring tone, making Sen bark over the com-line.

"What? Angel, status!"

"They got wise to our operation, the wall just sealed with plasti-crete, and that was my only bundle of charges," Angel said something to the confused, shouting transferee in the background.

"Fuck!" The kitsune hammered the van wall, earning him a glare from Wheels before Sen looked at them both, "Get Bonnie to the secondary LZ, Scythe, we're up."

"This wasn't part of the plan, dude, we're supposed to fall back if securing-"

"Frag that, Angel is up there and we're not leaving him. Coming or not?" Sen asked the mouse beside him as alarms started to chime across the dash by the rat, who cursed several colorful metaphors while already shifting gears.

"Tch... knew I'd have to bail you boys out. Not killing anyone I don't have to, Mantis-"

"Okay great, just cover my tails!" Sen cut off the shaman with a shove of the door as he stepped out partially, going into deployment training. His firearm was drawn as he crossed the area. The kitsune fell into a swift step, almost mechanical as he drew up to the side of the building.

"Not how I thought our dirty talk would go, needs some work!" Scythe called out after Sen, having to take twice as many steps to catch up to the kitsune, who whipped out the wrist-blade of his arm with a flick before jamming it into the port of the door-hub, "Woah, no protection huh?"

Sen smirked at the mouse as the delta-tier arm worked to burn out the virtual locks of the door, then tugged out the blade when a hissing seal forced it open, "Don't worry, still clean, now move!"

Scythe moved gracefully, almost martially into the doorway, easing inside with her name-sake drawn and held out before her in a side-slanted manner. The mouse surprised Sen by her aware confidence despite the mission going to hell already, then realized the spirits were likely able to act as sensory amplifiers or buffers as needed.

The kitsune followed after, able to see over the mouse as they swiftly found then ascended a stairwell toward the correct floor, finding only auto-sealed doors along the way, with alarms now blaring both offensively loud chimes and strobes of vision-blurring light.

Almost before it came down, Scythe raised her weapon in time to deflect a series of bullets as if the air itself shielded it. The mouse nodded to herself then glanced at the fox, "Four floors left, they're sending security two above and below to cut us-" another few rounds harmlessly swatted away by swift work of her sickle, "-talking here, drek-face! We need to move, or we'll get pinned!"

Sen nodded, then lunged forward with both paws coming up in a secure grip of his pistol, firing off three shots that found a mark in the chest and then the head of the first guard. He pressed against the mouse so closely they smelled each other, the adrenaline making even tactical gear unable to fully suppress their scents.

"Not what I meant, but no complaints, toolbox." Scythe grinned up at the fox, who gave a snort but never let his eyes leave the spiraling stairs above as he began to swiftly advance up the steps.

The kitsune stopped briefly at the fallen guard, swiping his aug-arm's palm across the badge of the officer before hastily ascending the last stairs to the door. Scythe gave a few hushed words to the air as she glanced at Sen, who placed his faux paw on the interface of the door, which chimed and then hissed open.

"Oooh, fancy, you have that effect on every entrance or just cold metal?" The mouse grinned at the kitsune, only to squeak as he ducked a taser goad aimed at his head. Sen grasped the guard by the face, half tugging, half hurling them into the stairwell past him to slam into the far wall by his aug-arm.

"You guys better fucking-" Over their secure link, Wheels crackled out a slew of curses as a hard pang rocked the side of the van, "-oh you drek-faces, you fraggin' up my paint job?!" Wheels shouted, going into full-dive mode with his precious vehicle to sweep the area for immediate threats, "Hurry it up, think they're gonna have the block locked down at this rate, they're not playin' around!"

Sen swept into the main hallway with his weapon raised, squeezing off several rounds the moment the first target came into view; an elephant, but barely recognizable from its extensive augments from head to tail, plated out in gleaming chrome that shrugged off the incoming fire, "Drek, this thing won't go down to small-arms!"

The fox ducked into the doorway as a stream of shells tore past him from an attached rotary gun on the left arm of the barely sentient thing guarding the primary elevator system.

"I got this, find Angel," Scythe promised without another word, slipping out from behind the kitsune with a deft whirling of her weapon about her. The mouse dove to the side as the gatling gun erupted with more fire down the hall, answering with a release of the spinning sickle to send it flying at the elephant-machine.

The scythe flew past, biting effortlessly into the ceiling above and behind the vat-made guardian only for the small female to pull herself forward in a swift slide just beneath the hail of gunfire. Without a wasted motion and while gliding along the smooth plasti-crete floor, Scythe tugged free the embedded weapon backward again.

Just as the mouse slid below and through the braced legs of the hulking guardian, the gleaming edge of her sickle cleaved through its neck like a razor to silk. With a rolling recovery to stand, Scythe once more pulled on the chain of her weapon to yank backward into a catch before it could ever kiss the ground. The head of the machine-thing thudded into the floor with oil coating everything about it in a spray.

Sen had already thudded down the opposite hall, rapidly checking the flickering door-code of each frame until he came to the correct digits. He slammed his palm against the console, chiming the door and almost tearing it open with his aug-arm, "Angel?!"

"Here sugar, we're good! Well, one of us anyway!" The retriever barked from the far corner of the cell, debris strewn out from the entrance blast. The transfer was unconscious on the cot behind where Angel was sitting, a firearm drawn at the door before seeing it was the kitsune, "He wouldn't stop freaking out, had to nap him."

"Okay fine, we gotta slot and run!" Sen growled, "You got him alright?" He nodded at the wageslave even as Angel shifted him up and across his shoulders skillfully, "Guess so."

They wheeled out of the room in proper formation, Sen leading them forward with his pistol drawn up, scanning the space from any possible opening with trained eye and augmented sweeps alike. Two ways out, the stairwell leading to the roof-access with the lower steps being scurried up by guards; or, the security elevator at the back for private personnel.

Only the mouse, who was kneeling by the open stairway door, was in the space with them, with all other doors or limited windows sealed once the alarms first blared. She shook her head at the approaching males.

"This won't be easy, Mantis says they've got the whole lower tier locked down. We can only go up or try that damned shaft." Scythe scowled over at the elevator bay, the idea of cramming into a metal box and trusting machines with her fate didn't sit well.

"Rooftop it is, you're gonna have to move your ass though, got it?" Sen barked the order without thinking, tapping into their link with Wheels as he checked over his weapon, "Bonnie needs to be at LZ two in three minutes, or we're fragged, copy?"

"Oh c'mon, I'm out here dodging patrol drones and a real ugly piece of-" The rat tried protest, clearly agitated from the constant maneuvering of his prize under the hail of fire, and the barking fox in his ear, but Sen snapped a rebuttal.

"Stow that drek and move, Wheels, I don't care how but be ready for our drop!" The kitsune didn't see the way Angel was grinning at him for the authoritative tone taken, but the retriever's tail wagged in a blur, pleased to see some of Jane rubbing off on the fox.

"There's no way we can scale this in time, are you crazy? Angel especially, but I can't keep pace with-" Scythe squeaked mid-sentence as Sen hoisted her up by his natural arm, sweeping up the smaller mouse to roll into a laying drape over his shoulder, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?!"

"Just watch our flank, I'll carry you." A paw firmly slapped down on the mouse's backside for better purchase, making Scythe growl out from being handled so.

"Get your paw off my ass, fox!" Scythe flailed, clasping her namesake in one paw as the other grasped at Sen's side for any kind of hold.

"Angel, you ready?" Sen smirked over his free shoulder, aug-arm holding up his firearm as the other canine grinned with a final shift of the VIP's form across himself. "Let's move!"

Even with military training, the swift ascension of stairs was taxing for Sen after a whole flight of them already, now with the mouse on his upper half he felt the burn of his muscles. Level by level the team climbed, most of the doors forced shut with Wheels e-war suite broadcasting from Bonnie, but those that opened were met with a burst of fire to suppress the guards into place.

"Not how I pictured feeling y-your damn paws on me!" Scythe chittered in laughing frustration with no choice but to endure being carried ever upward with a paw planted on her round backside for support. Deftly though, she kept a quick raising barrier behind the team, not allowing for a single round to get near fox or dog, instead deflected toward a doorway or the ever-gaining squads of security below.

Finally, the trio reached the rooftop access, letting Sen ease down the mouse from his shoulder to slam his aug-palm into the door panel.

"Get enough of a feel or what, don't think I didn't notice you rubbing?" Scythe huffed up at the kitsune, who offered a knowing grin as the door chimed, hissing open only for him to step back for Angel to huff past them.

"Left corner, go go!" Sen pointed with two digits in a signal gesture for them both, "I've gotta seal this door back, cover Angel while he gets into position!" The fox said while stepping outside just after the shaman, but instead embedded his jack-knife into the door panel over a palm scan.

With a few twitches, Sen got the hatch to slide shut with a thudding hiss, withdrawing his aug-tool to stride after the mouse and retriever toward the corner drop point. "Okay Wheels, we're in position, you there?"

"Where the fuck else would I be?!" Wheels snarled over the comm, the faint sounds of pattering heard in the background as the rat drifted Bonnie into place with a grav-brake drift just below the team, "C'mon, now or never!"

Sen watched Angel skillfully fall away from the ledge with their package secured to himself in practiced fashion, the same way he'd done for the fox not long ago. Scythe stared over the edge for a minute, then leapt off with a sound Sen couldn't tell was terror, glee, or something of both.

"I hate this." Sen cursed to himself before diving off the plextop, joining his squad in free fall before the cycling chimes of their chutes registered the proper velocity and distance to the beacon inside Bonnie. The grav-chutes coalesced like black wings to guide them downward in gliding swoops toward the van.

"One of these days, I'm going to actually spend my damn bonus!" Wheels punched a few key-up panels before a holo-emitter rippled the silhouette of the van, then with metallic releases, two other 'Bonnie' vehicles sped off to the left and right of the alleyway. The powercell in the front of the van whirred from the draw of two hard-light projections as twin drones carried away the signal to give chase.

Sen, Scythe, then Angel each landed with a few skidded steps behind the grav-car with a quick recalling of their chutes, wasting little time helping secure the new employee from the aching arms of the retriever to the back of the van. The squad froze for a moment as two Kamui cruisers drifted around the corner, only to gun it past to break off and follow after each of the sensor ghosts.

Sen hopped into the van after Scythe, tugging closed the door even as the vehicle lurched forward as Wheels stepped on it toward the rendezvous coordinates. "I...I really hope, Jane pays well for this drek...that was...ugh." The fox laughed in a breathless growl.

"Couldn't have been that bad, ha...you had your paw on my ass half of the time!" Scythe smirked with a pant, then looked to Angel as he waved tired paws about at them both.

"Nu-uh, don't wanna hear no complainin' from either of you! I carried that damn cackler, guh...up SO many damn stairs!" Angel groaned with a pained laugh of his own, tail thumping against the flooring, "Gods, I see another...flight, more than like...five steps, frag that!"

Wheels stepped out of the cabin, but it was clear from his hesitation and closed eyes he was still focusing mostly on the driving. "We got any astral heat, Scythe?"

She was still panting as she slumped back against the wall of the van and closed her eyes, focusing for a few seconds before giving a shrug. "They've got some beasties on their payroll up in the sky according Mantis, she picked them up during our freefall, I was able to shield our presence during it, so I think we're clear in that regard."

"Wiz," Wheels said as he folded his arms and leaned against the side of the entryway between the cabin and main body of the van. The team felt small lurches and heard the grav engine speeding up, then he sighed out, "Hold onto something."

Just as soon as the warning came, the van rocked violently, Sen and Angel having grabbed hold of something, but Moon squeaked out as she had been just focusing astrally so her reaction time was off. The mouse stumbled forward before Sen scooped her up with his free paw, catching her fall as she slapped up against his chest.

"Tch... just can't keep your paws off me tonight, eh Tanto?" She huffed out against his chest, feeling him flex his paw against her hip and hold her secure as the van shifted hard again.

"Fuck... will you give it a rest?!" Wheels shouted as the van juked again, then seemed to level off.

"Should we do anything?" Sen asked, none of them seeing much of anything going on outside of the cabin of the van.

"The decoys pulled most of the heat off our tails, we've got a flying drone that I can't shake though, little bugger is sticking with me like stink on a corp ceo," Wheels grumbled then nodded to Moon. "Scyth, can you have weasel scrap that thing or something?"

She didn't seem like she wanted to pull from the fox's grasp, huffing against his chest, her own scent of obvious heat tickling at his nose as well. Reluctantly she pulled back and trotted over to the side of the van calmly shoving the door open.

"Yes, no it's not manned, sounds good," Scythe cooed out and gripped the side of the opening with one paw, leaning out, seeing the little drone zipping and bobbing about in pursuit, occasionally laying down fire that made the van have to lurch to the side to avoid.

"Whoa!" She squeaked as the van juked while she was hanging out of it, then grunted as Sen was over to her holding onto the back of her jacket she wore. "Tch... I didn't say I needed your paw holding me, but as you wish."

Moon stared at the small flying drone and nodded a few times then lifted her free paw, making a finger gun as she squeaked out, "Got you." The drone's rotary blade just flew off on one side, a chunk of its vector wing snapping off cleanly as if cut by an impossibly sharp knife. The drone went into a tailspin and fell to the earth as she swung back in and calmly slid the side of the van close, looking up at the kitsune with a smug look in her eyes.

"Was that you or weasel?" Sen asked with an impressed look.

"Both, but it was Mantis, not weasel," She responded cooly.

"Thanks, bitch," Wheels hummed out with a grin.

"You're welcome, drek-for-brains," Moon fired back with her own smug grin.

--*--

Once the lucky employee was dropped off with incognito agents of his new employer, the run was complete and Jane transferred credits to all involved for a job well done.

Angel's synaptic feed pinged as they were riding back to Moon's place, Wheels dropping everyone off. "Good job, my good boy, is your boyfriend still going on that hot date of his tonight?"

"To my knowledge, he is, yes ma'am!"

"Well, I can't have my hard-working dog being left all alone after a job well done, and you know what it does to me when you efficiently follow orders, yes?"

"Yes ma'am!" He practically barked the words out loud, Moon and Sen seeing the retriever standing there with his tail wagging in the van, looking giddy.

"Have Wheels drop you off at the hotel coming up in half a mile, I'll pick you up in five." The feedback halted just like that.

"Hoi, Wheels, can you drop me off at the hotel coming up in about half a mile?" Angel barked out excitedly.

"Sure thing, guess you've got another job?" The rat asked him with a grin.

"The best kind of job!" He barked out with that goofy grin on his muzzle.

"Heh, have fun fetch, tell the boss I said hello, huh?" Sen smirked.

"Oh, you breaking off now? Come here then," Moon sauntered over to him and grabbed his left arm. "Dog said she isn't sending anyone on her team off with cuts or bruises," Moon shoved a paw over his arm that had been gnashed open and quickly wrapped up after the extraction.

Angel grinned as he felt the odd arcane energies he'd just gotten used to from her touch fill the limb, removing the ache as he rubbed and even squeezed the area after she withdrew her smaller paws. "Thanks, Moon, you're the best!"

"I know," She hummed out and poked her nose up, then grunted and put a paw onto her hip. "No, they know that... no... I said- Fine... Dog said she wishes to be thanked as well."

"Thanks Dog, I appreciate you and Moon always patching my stupid ass up!" Angel grinned as he thanked them both, then wagged his tail as the van shifted to slow and came down to the road.

"You have a good night, sugar!" Angel quickly lapped the kitsune's jaw with a huff and leaned close, whispering softly so only Sen would catch it, "Give that juicy ass of hers a nice firm smack for me, love!"

Sen yipped at the lewd words as the retriever hopped right out of the van, the mouse and fox watching him give a cute grin with that one missing tooth as he offered them a wave before the door slid shut.

"We'll be back at your place in just a few minutes, Moon," Wheels looked up from leaning on the wall then turned to trot back into the cabin of the van.

"Thank the spirits... ugh..." The mouse sunk down to the floor of the van and rubbed her head before giving a wide yawn.

"You okay, Moon? You know if you're too tired from the run..." Sen spoke gently as he smiled at her, his twin tails wagging slowly. He was trying to be polite but he'd had her scent in his nose all night, so it was a half-hearted courtesy at best.

"You know what, I think I might be, babe. The spirits help me, but it takes a big toll on me too, each bullet I deflected, each baton or punch I had blocked, they add up and-" She bit her tongue as she looked up at the fox who had a slight frown on his muzzle but was trying to remain neutral.

He realized she was staring and perked his ears, shaking his head rapidly. "Oh, shit I understand, I mean, can we get a rain check then?" He asked hopefully.

"Damn right we can, tomorrow sound good? Fuck waiting until the night, just come to my place around noon, I'll make it worth the wait." She offered him a weak grin as she lifted her round ears. "I'd say I'd power through tonight for you, but I think you'd end up banging an unconscious bitch."

Sen felt his tails fluff out and cheeks grow warm. He'd still never been with a girl, and as horny as he was, it didn't seem like a fun way to do it for your first time. With a resigned huff, he gave a nod, then offered a grin. "That sounds wiz, Moon, I probably should wash the blood and grim of the street off anyway, so noon tomorrow?"

'Yeah, I think that sounds wiz, sorry again, Sen, really." She frowned as she felt the van dip before she moved over to the door as it slid open.

He met her at the door, both of them staring at one another for a long moment before Moon reached up and grabbed his collar. Sen yipped a little as she pulled him down to her and shoved her muzzle right against his own. His eyes widened as her tongue met his, the kiss heated and desperate, showing he wasn't the only one who probably had some remorse over this.

After a few heated moments, Wheels cleared his throat, so she pulled from his muzzle, leaning nice and close to puff into his ear, "I like things natural, Sen, make of that as you will, baby." She patted his jaw as he gave her a stunned look, his tongue still showing slightly from the kiss as she just hopped down out of the van, offering him a smug little grin as she rolled her painted-clawed fingers on her paw in a wave.

As the door slid closed, Sen took an exacerbated sigh and rubbed his face with his paws, his tails whipping about. "That's rough buddy, you want me to drop you off near one of the red-light districts to take care of that tension?" Wheels asked with a sympathetic tone.

"Frag that! I only just started getting some credits flowing, I'm not wasting it on pros. Just drop me off at Angel's place, I'll just take a cold shower, only kind there is over there anyway." Sen grumbled and shoved his paws into his own jacket as he took a seat in the van with a sigh, the taste of her still on his lips.

Moon gave a frustrated sigh as she trotted into the shop, locking the door behind her as she groaned and rubbed her head. "Fuck... maybe I should have used less mojo tonight... Still, I'd like to be awake to enjoy it and I'm barely being held up by your own power, Mantis."

She grumbled then called out loud as she kicked her boots off and started for bed. "Anyway, good job tonight everyone, though you didn't have to be such a drama queen and demand Angel thanked you, Dog, I know he's cute but-" Moon frowned as she keenly felt the lack of presence with her.

"Wait a sec... Dog? Hey you guys, where is Dog?" Her ears shot up and her tail snapped to a point. "That... that sneaky little whore! I'm going to kick her astral tail for this!" Moon squeaked out furiously as she stomped a foot.

--*--

Sen got that cold shower and didn't bother ordering or making any food, just going straight to bed. He didn't want to chance to put food on his stomach after the combat high had worn off and the nerves settled back in.

He was still fraggin' horny as hell, but as he settled into bed, the night caught up to him. Sen remembered seeing the brief glimpse of the poor drek he shot down in the stairwell, a corp security guy like he had been, once in the chest, then right in the head.

With a snarl, he hugged Angel's pillow and huffed into his own, rolling over onto his belly to try to push the thoughts out of his head. Of course, he also thought of that fool Jane had sent him to erase, 'you never forget your first', they say. Had he been with Inari, they'd have had a counselor at the ready for the new members the first time they geeked someone, ready to help talk away the drek that came up, but he was on his own now.

He thought about how Moon took out the big guy in the hallway, she did it so efficiently, but she'd been doing this a lot longer. Then again, that elephant was so chromed up, it was debatable if anything was left in him. Your body can only take so much before that line of existence and machine really starts to blur.

Holding his augmented paw up, he looked over the faux fur, a few nicks from the run showing chrome beneath. He shouldn't have been able to see it in the darkness, but his one augmented eye made it look as if he were just under low light.

"Frag it, maybe I'll get a drink," Sen huffed out loud as he laid his alpha-ware over his eyes, mulling on the idea for a few seconds. Almost instantly, he felt awash with comfort, like the idea of drowning the issues in synthol was a moot point. Before he knew it, sleep had taken him and the thoughts of the day bled away to the inky black void of unconsciousness.

He felt himself stir in his sleep, his ears twitching to a sound, it was humming, gentle, melodic, as if a lullaby with no words. There was pressure upon his head, a paw, stroking his hair, and even rubbing one of his large orange-black ears.

In that odd moment, he felt like a puppy again, felt like he did when his mother used to hold him and when his father didn't look upon him as just a disappointment to the family. The humming grew louder, and the touch seemed more real before everything seemed to coalesce into reality.

"You should keep your eyes closed for a while longer, my sweet fox, lest you grow disoriented, understand?" As the words came forth, he felt a paw gently settle upon his face, shielding his eyes.

"What is going on?" He asked in a calm voice. He wanted to be surprised, he wanted to jump up and bark out at the prospect of waking up with his head in a strangers lap, but it was a soft warm lap, a rather comfortable place to lay his head to be sure.

"Think back to those days, my sweet fox... the sway of the blossoms, the firm packed earth against the pads of your paws. You rushed about, and tried your best in those days, you had an open heart. My sister of the forests would come to you in dreams when you rested under the shade of trees."

"How... do you know that?" Sen felt his heart rate pace up, the scent in his nose reaching him on a primal level, instantly recognizing the odor of another canine, a female one.

The paw gently moved from his eyes, returning to stroke his ears. Sen heard the humming return as he slowly blinked them open, seeing the underside of a sandy-colored muzzle above him. She was a dog with short little ears, smaller than his, and long flowing brown hair that seemed to come all the way down her back, pooling around them where she sat on her knees with his head in her lap.

"Who are-" He bit his tongue before shaking his head and slowly rising from her lap. She let her paw linger on his ears for a moment later before he fully righted himself, sitting upon his own bent knees, not unlike how he used to position himself before the altar of the shrine.

She met his eyes, her own a deep blue like the brightest of skies far from the choking smog of the sprawl. Her slightly curled tail showed in a wag as she leaned back. She wore an ancient-looking dress of simple white fabric, almost Roman in nature as if it were a toga. Tucked behind each ear he half expected to see laurels, but they were small branches of cherry blossoms.

She showed him a lazy grin, her eyes half-lidded as she felt him assess her figure next. Soft round hips with warm soft thighs and as his gaze moved up her, he could clearly see she wasn't quite as endowed as Moon or Jane would be, but she seemed to have a rather large chest that pushed against the dress she wore, clearly showing the outline of peaks against the fabric.

Sen gave a small huff at the view of her, she looked to be a Shiba Inu breed given her tail and the slightly 'fox-like' muzzle she sported. He mulled on the sensations in his heart, already knowing the answer as he finally spoke once more, "You're Dog, aren't you?"

"I am," She answered in a soft almost motherly tone as she rested both paws on her lap.

"Where-" He looked around, everything further past them was fuzzy as if covered in a miasma, as if her presence pushed back the smog of aether all around. Shaking his head, he thought back to his training in the shrine and spoke out in realization, "This is the Astral, isn't it?"

"It is, my sweet fox," She cooed out, sounding proud that he was able to answer all his questions before she could.

"I've never been in the Astral plane before," He looked around in wonderment, even though it was just a haze pushing against them, nothing to be seen all around them but a few tatami mats they were kneeling upon.

"I know this, and that is why I beseeched you to remain still prior, to allow your spirit to finish adjusting," She perked her smaller ears and gently turned one paw up to open her palm. "How do you feel?"

"I feel oddly... whole?" Sen waved his paw over his face, seeing clearly from both eyes, feeling the muscles flex and tissue stretch slightly as he moved his normally augmented arm. "I always expected the Astral to be more... ethereal or something, I feel very corporeal right now."

Dog showed him an amused grin that reminded him of how Moon would look at him, then rocked back off her knees, her breasts jiggling a little in her top as she took a seat and leaned back. He could see her shapely soft looking thighs slide against one another, the dress only coming to her knees and even now hitched up slightly to offer more of a view.

"My sweet fox, this is why coming into the aether without a guide is so dangerous. Rest assured were you to stray from me, into the mists around you, there is no end of horrors that might snap you up!" She barked the words out as if she were telling a scary story to a pup at a campfire.

"Oh come on... is it really that bad?" He countered, unable to help but show a smile as she relaxed before him. He'd heard some of the one-sided arguments she and Moon had in his presence, so he wasn't fully falling for the mystical act she had put on.

Dog rolled her blue eyes and shook her head before relenting, "Perhaps not so foreboding as that, but the aether is deadly to the untrained. There are threats within if you were to explore alone, and as you lack fortitude, you would be but a pup against even the most basic of them."

"Alright, but why did you bring me here, Dog? Now that I'm feeling your presence, I can sense you've... been with me before. You were with me that first night after I met Moon, weren't you?!" Sen lifted his ears, barking the words as realization finally started to catch up with reality.

"Very astute, my sweet fox," Dog hummed out with a bright grin, her eyes shining, the way she looked in this moment making his stomach twist. "I offered to follow along with you, to see if you were worthy of my partner's time."

"Partner?" Sen asked as he cocked a brow.

"Why yes, we are partners, associates... friends," Dog pushed a paw to her bosom as she shifted her gaze squarely to his eyes. "Moon and I would be what you all would consider, friends, yes. We are not lovers, we are more than business associates though. Sometimes I even do things without requesting a reward."

"A reward? What does Moon even give you all?" Sen tilted his head, sounding more curious by the moment.

"Her lifeforce usually." Dog said simply.

"Wait- You're killing her? Like you're taking time off her lifespan or something?" Sen growled and lifted his ears.

Dog offered a surprisingly loud laugh as her chest bobbled a few times, making Sen bite his tongue, trying to keep his eyes up as her breasts swayed in the loose top of her toga-like dress. She offered him a knowing grin, as if an older woman knew the intentions of a younger male, then shrugged a shoulder to let some of the strap slip down.

"No, my sweet fox, we are all viciously protective of Moon, and we do not seek to take the time off her clock. Lifeforce as in..." She frowned as she leaned back on her paws, trying to explain to a non-ascended being. "You see... uh... beings like us, we feed upon willpower, it sustains us, it is-" She put a paw to her muzzle in thought.

After several moments of silence, her ears perked up as she barked out, "Ah! Do you remember how exhausted Moon was, but you and Angel did most of the running, fighting, and... hauling?" She offered a grin, keenly aware of the fox getting his feel on with the mouse's backside when he carried her.

"Y-yeah, I can recognize exhaustion when I see it, that's why I didn't kick up much of a fuss when she said she was too tired." He nodded with a frown.

"That is because, each bullet she deflected, each blow she shielded herself or you from, chipped away at her willpower, which is like your stamina. Imagine having to do a pullup for each bullet she batted away, for each time she looked into the Astral to see if magical threats were looming."

"Damn... I know she must have easily shielded off a hundred bullets last night," Sen spoke with newfound respect in his voice.

"Correct. You see a small curvy mouse with little muscle on her form, but she is just as rigorously trained as you are but in another way. When she and Mantis took down the drone, that would have been as you sprinting at full speed for a full minute."

"Whoa... I need to show her more appreciation, but what about her life force or whatever?" Sen circled back around.

"It is as with you when you train and push to exhaustion. You are not shortening your life, simply spending your energy. For us, we use her willpower to sustain ourselves, but we also use it to perform what we do. It is as if you were to purchase a cup of soykaf, yes? The credits do not just go straight to the store, they are used to pay the employees, keep power on, restock supplies, and many other things. That is the simplest way I can explain."

"That makes sense to me, so why do I have my normal meat and eye back? Shouldn't they just be missing in this space?" Sen asked as he pointed to his eye with his normally chromed-up arm.

"The flesh and the spirit are not so intertwined my sweet fox. Though as you modify your body, you will start to see ramifications in the astral, well that is to say, your form here would not be possible. Take your friend Wheels for example, I could not heal any wounds his flesh took, because his spirit is too far gone."

"But me and Angel are okay?" Sen looked confused.

"You are... stunted, but you are within my... touch," Dog offered him a surprisingly hungry grin as she just dropped to her front handpaws and started moving over towards him on all fours.

"Uh... So if I'm stunted, how can you pull me into the Astral like this?" Sen perked his ears, biting his lower lip as the female the same size as him stalked over, her tail wagging. He gulped as her muzzle moved right up to his own, just inches away.

"You may have rejected your heritage and upbringing, but your spirit has not, my sweet fox... I can sense within you, that you have not fully turned your back upon this, despite the butchering of your body..." Dog whispered against his lips, practically kissing him.

Her scent was in his nose, it felt so real. The lingering of her muzzle near his, the heat from it, the touch, it all was as if it were happening in his flesh. "D-Dog... why did you... bring me here?"

"Because I like you, I like your spirit, I like your heart... You are a good fox... I like good-hearted creatures like you and your Angel, and so... I brought you here, to offer myself unto you, Sen," She whispered against his lips, but before he could respond, she pushed to him, tilting her head, locking her muzzle to his own as his eyes widened.

Sen offered a shocked yip as her muzzle pushed to his own, his eyes fluttering closed to accept the forced kiss. He could taste her so plainly now and when her head turned to deepen it, he did the same, their tongues meeting to explore one another.

He heard a soft rumbling growl come from the other dog's throat, her arms wrapping around his neck as he did the same. Before he knew it, she was sitting upon his lap, both of them heatedly kissing, her scent all in his nose and taste in his maw.

With a hesitant huff, he broke the kiss and blinked into her blue eyes with his own blue ones. She ran a paw through his dark hair as she cooed, "You have beautiful eyes, my sweet fox... You should let me fix the one you have lost."

Sen felt a shiver roll up his spine at her touch and drew closer, shifting to rub his muzzle against the spirit's jaw, the touch, scent, and taste of her every bit as real as if he were in his own meat. "Huff... You smell and taste really good... Your body is so warm too..."

"Do you enjoy how my body feels, Sen?" Dog whispered out as she pushed nice and close, letting her breasts push into his chest, then she moved in to nuzzle against his own jaw, both dogs now scent marking one another in the aether of the adjoining plane of reality.

"I do, is it okay to touch you more?" He asked childishly, this being his first time with a female.

Dog hummed and leaned back to grip the hem of her dress, then peeled the whole thing right off, her long brown hair flowing down her back as he watched those perky round breasts bounce into view, her peaks a soft dusky rose against the sandy-colored fur.

"Touch away my sweet fox, I crave it..." Dog cooed as she moved to grip his paws, bringing them up to cup the swells of her chest, feeling her peaks hard against his pads. Sen wagged his twin tails and began to eagerly knead against the mounds in a curious touch.

"I've never touched a girl's tits before, they're really soft..." He huffed out curiously, his fingers moving to gently pinch at the nipples as she gave a giggle of a bark.

"Oooh well, Moon's will be even softer, my sweet Sen... Hers are a little bigger, but I hope you'll still like mine once you have some time with her tomorrow," Dog offered him a loving motherly smile as her soft round hips ground gently in his lap, feeling his eagerness growing against her bared crotch.

"So I heard something about my astral v-card the other day, you wanted to break me in for her?" He showed a small grin as his paws shifted to her hips, now curiously rubbing at the fur of this spirit-shiba as she kept grinding on his fully slid free length in his sleep shorts, seeing that curled tail wagging eagerly.

"Hm hm... is that what we should say, Sen?" Dog licked her chops as she slipped back off his lap enough to grasp his boxers, tugging them down as she showed an excited grin, her own blue eyes sparkling. His length jumped to attention, the virgin nerves having been worked out more or less with Angel.

"In truth, I fell for your spirit when I stayed with you the first night, Sen... I'll be happy to help you work the awkwardness out so you and my friend have a better time, but rest assured, I simply desire you..." Dog cooed as she shifted back to his lap, grinding herself against the jumping length, panting out as she felt him move his own hips awkwardly, making that length pump up against her clearly soaked petals.

"Y-You're really wet... damn, I didn't know a girl could get like this..." Sen stammered out with a pant, still trying to process this as he looked into the eyes of the motherly dog grinding upon him. "So is this the same as having real sex though?"

"My sweet fox, this mating will be just as real as if you were in the flesh, everything about you is here... When you project yourself into this reality, it is another body all of its own, with all the pleasure and pain that will come with it," She sighed and lifted her hips, guiding one paw to grip the kitsune's shoulder, her other moving between them to grasp his length, positioning it herself, his own paws resting on her hips curiously as he panted.

"Pain?" He huffed out with lifted ears, then gave a small grunt as she ground against him once more, feeling his tapered tip guide right into her entrance as she huffed out.

"Well, I won't hurt you much, my sweet, but I might be a little tight, it has been some time since I found a proper mate..." Dog met his eyes as he bit his lower lip hard, his own ears folding as she slowly lowered herself, his length pushing up into her, forcing her walls to part to accommodate.

"Fuck... fuck... it's really... fragging... tight and hot in you..." Sen panted the words out, then gasped as his tongue showed, blinking into the other dog's eyes as she slapped her hips down hard, licking her chops, looking smugly proud as he fully and completely settled inside.

"Oooh... Moon's going to love you, my sweet Sen... but for now, you're mine to enjoy... Do I feel good?" She cooed and rubbed at his jaw, his tails a blur behind him as this motherly shiba skillfully started to grind him deep inside her.

"Dreking..." Sen gritted his teeth again, then let out a soft gasp as he felt her crush against his length as if milking him. He looked stunned, feeling honey slicking his length as he stared into her sky-blue eyes.

Dog licked her chops again and rested both paws on his shoulders. "I'll take that as a yes..." She gently ground her hips while sitting in his lap, feeling his own paws clinging to her soft round hips, humming proudly as she took this young kitsune's first time for herself, feeling him jump and grind at her core while she kept moving.

"D-Dog... fuck...Is, Dog really you're name?" He asked with a pant as he shifted his paws up to cup her own jaw, another moving to rub her soft ear.

"Hm hm... waited until you were buried to your hilt to ask a girl's name? So much for romance, eh, Sen?" She cooed out as she kept grinding herself, sighing out and shuddering as he barked, feeling her crush him once more.

"Ngh... H-hey... you started this, I wasn't rushing nothing, lady... fuck... is that... you cumming on me?" He asked with a pant.

"Uh-huh... that's me feeling good. This isn't some dream world where I can just will things, Sen. This is my body, this is what I am, and while you are here, what you are..." She sighed and resumed her grinding, then licked her lips as she offered him a grin. "We spirits do not need such things as names, we are what we are, and I am yours in this moment, are you happy to be mine?"

"I- I actually am... yeah! Fuck you feel good and, I can feel your comfort, your... love?" He stammered out as the odd sensations washed into his soul.

"I am a spirit of love and loyalty, my Sen... to be with me, is to love me, but you may not feel it after the fact... That is well and good though, if you wish to say you love me, I shall return it..." She hugged close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she ground faster, puffing against his large ear, "I fell in love with you the moment I joined you..."

"Is this what love feels like?" He shuddered and couldn't help but groan at the words, hugging her close. Dog grinned as she felt his hips starting to figure things out, grinding himself deep, feeling himself pushing into her core as she panted out.

"Yes... ngh... does it make you think of Angel, my sweet kitsune?" She giggled and tangled her paw into his hair again, huffing against his jaw as she felt him grinding himself deep. "It is well I am not a jealous spirit... you certainly seem to have enough love to spare..."

"W-Wait... Angel?! I don't... ngh... love that- Guh!" Sen barked out, sounding fussy but then yipped out into a moan as his ears folded, shuddering as he felt her crush him and grind against him, making his twin tails wag harder.

"My mistake, my sweet Sen... but you love me?" Dog asked cutely while blinking her blue eyes, her large breasts bouncing against his chest, now clinging to him with a grin, feeling his own hips just as eager to move, spearing up into her tight little pussy, the showing of a knot starting to kiss at her entrance.

"I- Y-Yeah I think I do! But... that's crazy, I don't even... know you..." He whimpered as he felt himself losing ground quickly to her rippling walls, the spirit seeming to grow more tight and ravenous at his confession.

"Ha... it is just as well! I love you too, Sen! That's what I am, what we are in this moment, do not think on it heavily, just focus on me, focus on me and our pleasure!" Dog barked the words excitedly, her own hips grinding with his, both of them eager and desperate for the other, the sounds of their excited mating filling the air around them.

He barked out in panic as he panted into her face while his paws slapped to her round backside, feeling his knot grind at her entrance. "Fuck... fuck... it's happening to fast... S-sorry... this is-"

"Ngh!" She growled and slapped her hips down hard into his lap as he barked out loudly, looking shocked as she forced his knot to lodge deep, licking her chops as she sighed out, "Do not think!"

His thoughts scattered as he nodded then howled out in a throaty moan as he shouted his love for her. The spirit moaned in her own cry, returning his love, "Ha! And I love you, my sweet sweet... ngh! Foooxxx..." She slurred the last as she felt his heat wash into her at last, feeling all the energy and will that came with it.

"Oh my fuck... oh fragging.... Gods!" Sen barked out, clutching to her, panting desperately into her face as Dog just cooed and nodded, holding him close as each thick rope erupted into her.

"Yesss... yes my love... all of it...all of it..." She petted his jaw as he panted into her face, this older experienced female taking his first time. Each thick rope spread his heat into her and by the time he finished, she felt awash with energy and love.

"Huff... huff... good fox... good fox..." She panted into his large ear, grinding her hips, greedy to milk every drop in, to get all the energy, all of her due. Sen shuddered and gave a weak little moan as the last of his stamina went and he collapsed back to the ground.

Dog stayed perched in his lap as he looked up at her panting in fatigue, seeing her lick her chops, looking proud and loving as she brushed a paw over her belly, enjoying feeling so warm inside for her new lover. "I can taste your love and adoration, my Sen... Ha... my fox..."

--*--

Sen groaned weakly as he squirmed in bed and slowly stirred from his sleep. He was still clutching Angel's pillow, the vivid memories of the dream coming back to him. He huffed and rolled over onto his back, then frowned as he felt the sticky mess in his shorts, biting his lower lip.

"You fancy it a dream, but it was not. The Astral is no dream space for succubi, my fox."

"Whoa!" Sen barked out and looked around, then huffed as he realized he was alone. He hesitated before thinking to himself, "Wait- You hear this?"

"I do, and I can hear you when you speak orally as well. This is how Moon talks to me."

He rubbed his mussed hair and frowned as he looked up at the dinghy ceiling of the room. "Damn... so that happened, but uh... you said it was its own thing, why am I a... mess?"

There was a giggle in his mind as the words of Dog came to him, "Silly, I said the pleasure was very real, but your meat body here in the prime plane can still get excitable as well. I suppose it felt like a... I believe they call them 'wet' dreams, to your physical form."

"Huh..." Sen held his chrome arm up, looking at it with his normal eye closed, peering at it through the magnified vision of his augmented one. "So my eye, huh?"

"I would very much enjoy restoring it, come my fox, it would grow back stronger, and would only take a few seasons, maybe a few months if you keep fueling me with your love!"

"M-My love?!" He barked aloud and felt his cheeks grow hot, keenly remembering how he readily confessed to her and she returned it.

"I did warn that the feelings may not linger after, but yes, your love, our love. I love you, Sen." The voice came out cheerfully as he swallowed hard.

"It feels odd to return that in this moment, but I think I'm starting to like you a lot, Dog," He thought to himself as he gave the empty room a smile.

"I am grateful and may I stay with you for a time? I promise to only speak out if a situation demands it or you call out to me."

He bit his lower lip at that, thinking about how he'd have her eavesdropping on all his thoughts, but she had been doing that all along anyway. Nodding to himself he spoke aloud, "You know what? It's kind of nice... Yeah, you can spend more time with me, Dog."

"I am grateful, and now you should get moving, my sweet kitsune, for you have only a pawful of hours before you meet with my friend, and you best freshen up, as you have my scent upon you."

Sen frowned at that and moved an arm to his snout, giving a huff as his ears perked up. Sure enough, he had the odor of a female dog upon him. "How is that possible?" He asked.

"Because we can manifest our will and mine was heavy upon you during our lovemaking. Just as we can heal wounds and summon plagues, we may bring forth our pressure upon another. In this case, perhaps I was grinding myself upon your crotch as we did that in the Astral."

"So you're the reason I blew it in my shorts!" Sen barked out awkwardly.

"Guilty as charged, and I pray I'll have the opportunity to do so again, and again, and... again, my fox." Sen felt a shiver roll down his spine, but couldn't help but grin as he pushed himself out of bed to start getting cleaned up.

--*--

Next Episode:

I wish I could have known you before, known your body unchanged. Still, your touch fills me with warmth. Yes, I think we can look beyond our biased views, this is so much more than a carnal embrace, but don't for a second hold back.

An extended olive branch, a hope of atonement, a burned bridge built anew, or are the tinders too desiccated now? Yes, you are my chosen one. Let the world turn its back upon you, I will be your guardian, your love. Take my power and find a way in the turbid waters you call your life, for now, it is our life.

Episode six: Turbid Currents

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