~ 1x1 with HoleyPaladin [M]

[Owl0430]

She smirked slightly, amused by his respectful response. " yes, that's exactly it. If I catch you staring at someone else i might just have to turn you into a smoking pile of ash. Though who says i'm even real? For all you know I could be a figment of your lustful imagination." She stated teasingly, enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers.

" don't worry, I already planned on regularly visiting your dreams so long as i'm able to access them." She smiled at him slightly.

In silence she listened to what he said. " hmm.. population control is needed for some races. Like for example, humans. They breed like rabbits I swear, constantly expanding their territory into nature, into our forest-dweller homes. However, it's a shame. His looks shall go to waste.. unless all elves are attractive. If that's the case then sign me up to live with the elves" the fox said in a jalf-joking manner. Though now she understood why Heinrich didn't see a problem with mixed-races relationships. " tell me, do you recall this kingdoms view on kitsune?"

" a..rest..or...aunt?" She spoke, taking a moment to figure out how the word was said. " ah, restraunt... it's interesting." She looked around at the place. It was nice..calm. quiet. Refined. And there was no 'exotic entertainment'. She also admired the clothing the foreigner wore. " what is the type of clothing she's wearing.. it's pretty". Not only that, but it was modest while still being flattering to the figure. Though she frowned the kitsune udon. " hm.. the name is rather true and amusing, but not all of us like tofu.. a few are actually allergic too the stuff."

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the words of the teasing fox, the knight noted how she didn't attempt to take her hand away from him, and actually seemed to welcome it rather than shying away from it. "Well, I don't mind looking at you, if that's what you prefer," he remarked. "But if you were a figment of my lustful imagination... you'd be wearing a much shorter skirt. And sitting in my lap. So I'm more of the mind that you're about as real as I am." As difficult as it may have been for the kitsune to even imagine a shorter skirt, Heinrich himself certainly could.

"Well then, you'd better be pleasant company so that I'll keep letting you in," he teased somewhat, chuckling a bit as she spoke of population control. "Humans don't breed like rabbits..." he said, "Those girls do." He pointed to the three adorable bunny-eared girls who were cuddling up with a single lucky wizard. "They're an all female race that lives in secluded forest villages... when they find a human male, they'll often take him back to their tribe and pass him around, so relationships like that one are pretty common among their kind."

He laughed somewhat as she spoke of how she liked the way elves looked. "If you want a skinny prettyboy like him, an elf village would be the place to find them. You might even have an easier time finding a man who needs your protection there, since about half of them are weaker than you physically. Though if you were half as honest about your feelings towards me as you are about your attraction towards elves... who knows what might happen?" Thinking a moment, he said, "This city isn't so much part of a kingdom as it is an Imperial capital... but I believe the Emperor has a few kitsune wives who he treats pretty well, so his official policy towards the race must be at least somewhat favorable. Problem is, it's about three thousand miles away from our current location, so if you intended to visit this city in the waking world... it'll prove quite difficult to do so." While he did know of a long range teleportation spell, it was limited to a shorter range and required him to know his destination far better than he knew any intermediary locations.

He allowed her time to grasp the term used for the restaurant, noting the way she looked at the hostess who had shown them to her seats. "I believe that's called a kimono... a silk robe of sorts. That one is on the longer end... they can be as short as the waitress' yukata. The way to tell a kimono from a yukata is the fact that a yukata has a single collar while a kimono has at least two, and the kimono is made of silk while the yukata is made of cotton."

The waitress he was referring to was wearing a yukata of even shorter length than Akira's skirt, and came over to her tail before giving a bow. The feline ears on her head and the tail that poked out from underneath her yukata betrayed the fact that she was a neko, though her greeting of "Welcome, Nya. What can I get for you, nya?" said the same thing in feline meows.

"I'll have the fiery volcano curry, and I believe the girl would like some kitsune udon," he said, glancing over to Akira just in case. "Oh, and some hot green tea to drink." As the neko gave another "nya" and went off to fetch their order, the knight gazed over at the kitsune. "I'm starting to wake up, I'm afraid," he murmured with a frown. "Before I do, however... how about showing some honest feelings since we'll most likely forget about all of this a few moments?"

[Owl0430]

"Mm....I won't deny that I'd prefer you not to look at others...and your a smart man for knowing i'm real, however. " Akira turned her head to look at him with a smile, only it was a smile of pure menace. " if you make this skirt the tiniest bit shorter I promise you it will be the last thing you do, and you will meet a most unpleasant and lengthy demise. "


Looking at the bunny-girls she thought over what he said. " well, if it is their culture, then one must assume that to them it's logical and they have their reasons.... however, they are just using the man in that case, seemingly running on pure lust.. though it makes sense then why I seen similar ones walking into numerous pubs on many, many occasions. "

" for all you know I could be into the skinny pretty-boys, even if they are weaker physical. However, it's not anyways the brawns that wins the battle. As long as their intelligence is high, as well as speed, they'd be just as useful as a muscleman. Surely I proved too you that it can be the brains that wins the battle as well." Frowning at his next comment, she lied, denying her attraction too him. Though the nervous twitching of her tails and flattening of her ears was a dead giveaway she was lying. " heinrich, please do not mistake obligation and necessity for feelings. I do not wish to cause you pain and inner turmoil. " she didn't know why she kept lying to him... maybe it was because she hardly knew him, so could she really call the feelings genuine, and not just desire? Or maybe for all she knew she was afraid of losing someone again. She felt bad lying, but she was honestly just afraid. Afraid for many reasons. " hmm.... well... I wouldn't mind visiting this place for real someday... but for now we should focus on getting somewhere safe and welcoming in general. "

Listening to him and the Neko waitress, she stayed silent. As the neko waitress walked away, her ears flattened and her pupils went to slits, a low growl emitting from her throat. To her it was obvious that the neko was into Heinrich by the way she held her tail, as well as the quiet purr her fox eats had barely been able to pick up due to the quiet volume and low frequency- a rather seductive but quiet sound. " I dislike their kind with a passion....'' she muttered, glaring at the neko.
" anywho, the kimono is much more appealing. It flatters the figure and shows some curves while also being modest. " she stated, back to her normal tone.


As the knight said he was waking up, she frowned as well, having been enjoying their.. time together. Huffing in disappointment she stood and walked over to him, tightly hugging him as if afraid to let go, her head nuzzling the crook or his neck. " hmm... well then, I'll admit it, I rather enjoyed the sensation when you let my ears and tails." It was clear that was all the kitsune was brave enough to say.

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the threatening words of the fox, the knight merely shrugged in reply. "You act as if I have control over what you wear..." he remarked. "While there are some things within my control, for the most part, the dream is pulled from my own memories and subconscious... so it'll dress you to fit the local fashions of the Imperial City on its own." He didn't take her threat of incineration all that seriously, merely figuring it fit her character.

"Careful making generalizations about a race like that..." he cautioned the kitsune as she made a few assumptions about the bunnies. "While it's true that many of their kind are creatures of pure desire, to say they're all like that would be to say that all kitsunes are vixens and seductresses like the rumors currently spreading about your kind. I've always found bunnies to be kind and friendly, and while some of them sleep around a lot, others are satisfied supporting and devoting themselves a single man, provided he can take care of their needs."

Chuckling at her comments regarding skinny prettyboys, the knight shrugged. "Intelligence, agility, and magical talent are indeed useful in a fight... there's no denying that. But there's also no denying the fact that a fast, smart, strong fighter has an advantage over a fast, smart weak fighter of equal skill and magical talent. Arcane Knights such as myself focus on having maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses in a combination of martial and magical might." Her claims to have no such attraction towards him were becoming less and less believable, especially immediately after saying she'd prefer that he look at her and not at the pretty bunnies, nekos, and elves that filled the dream world. Besides... it was clear from the girl's body language that she had difficulty speaking her denial in a believable way.

Noting the obvious dislike that the kitsune showed towards the neko girl, the knight remarked, "So I should look for a cute neko like her instead?" He wasn't sure why she had so much dislike towards neko girls, and he had been a bit too distracted focusing on Akira to note the flirtatious approach that the waitress shown in taking their orders. "What's wrong with cats?" he asked, giving her a little bit of payback for her comments regarding pretty elf boys. "They're cute."

As the kitsune stood up, so too did Heinrich, wrapping his arms around her and holding her a bit closer to him, feeling her slender warmth in his arms. "In that case... I can be the only person who you let touch them" he said, reaching out to stroke her tail with one hand, the other sliding up to her ears to nuzzle them and stroke them. The dream world began to fade away, but the sensation of the fox in his arms did not, and he woke to the sensation of a sleepy looking fox holding him close while he continued to stroke her soft ears and fluffy tail, enjoying the sensation of her warmth pressed against him. The sun had yet to rise, but he knew that it would soon, and it would be best to get moving before first light... yet he had absolutely no desire to worm his way free from the kitsune's grasp anytime soon.

[Owl0430]

" well how am I supposed to to know what level of dreamscaping abilities you have? For all I knew you could have been an expert. " she stated with a shrug.

However, she frowned with a look of shame and regret. " yes..i..I suppose that was rather hypocritical of me.. i'm sorry " glancing back over at the bunnies though, she thought carefully. " is it wrong of me though to prefer the ones that don't sleep around" she questioned, keeping hold of his hand.

"Hm.. yes, you have a point. Smart and strong would be the ideal partner. However, one also has to consider if they get along with and can trust their partner. Trust is likely the most important factor between two partners in battle. Besides, what one lacks is hopefully what the other makes up for. " she kept her gaze focused on the scenery, rather than looking at any of the elves that went by. Though she didn't exactly look at heinrich unless he was talking.

" normal cats, maybe. Some of the feline women, maybe. Her? I'd much rather cut off my own ears than listen to anything she says. Seems like she as an individual is more of a mischievous vixen than more of my own kind that I've met. " the kitsune's tails flicked in annoyance.

As the dream realm began to deteriorate and pull apart, Akira realized she was going to miss the place they had been in. " see you in the waking world, heinrich. " when she woke up, she groggily opened her eyes to see she was cuddled tightly against Heinrich. Blushing slightly she slowly sat up, not recalling the majority of the dream. Just mere bits and pieces. However, she soon heard the snapping of twigs, and shifted into her smaller fox form, looking around carefully.

[Holeypaladin]

"I don't think it's wrong..." he murmured regarding the bunnies. "I think most people prefer the non-slutty kind... that applies to bunnies, foxes, elves, and nekos," he remarked, largely in reference to the neko maid who she had accused of being more of a vixen than any kitsune, though Heinrich himself didn't see it. It was clear that the kitsune had a few prejudices towards other races, however, which was normal.. and not always a bad thing, in some cases.

Slowly opening his eyes, he noted that the kitsune in his arms shrank and shifted into the form of a much smaller animal, leaving her clothes behind in the process since they no longer fit. He was about to speak up and ask what was going on, when he saw the way she began to look out, as if scanning for danger, and felt it best not to make any unnecessary noises in case they alerted the enemy to his position.

Instead, he leaned forward and whispered into her fluffy fox ear. "Did you sense something approaching?" he asked, focusing on his Foundry circuit to conjure forth his armor around him, in order to be properly prepared in case danger did approach. He refrained from summoning any weapons for the time being, as it was best to decide on which weapons to use once he knew who the enemy was... provided it was an enemy, of course.

Though the memories of the dream were fading, he made a conscious effort to remember the important highlights... mainly, the fact that Akira was an oneiromancer who had been present in his dream, and the way she had hugged him at the end and said she liked it when he touched her ears and tails. Other details were somewhat hazy, though he was left with an impression that she didn't want him to look at other girls, for some reason.

[Owl0430]

When she heard heinrich's voice in her ear, she let out a quiet growl in hopes he'd be quiet. However, her head snapped to the side after having heard more twigs snapping. Someone was sneaking about. Then she smelled it- horses, and..blood. kitsune blood. She lifted her head slightly , and no sooner had she done that then an arrow flew between her and Heinrich.


Letting out a noise of alarm as she jumped onto heinrich's shoulder, a few flames of fire hovering in the air around her. Unfortunately she couldn't tell how many were there. Nor would she be of much use in combat. Some fire and ice here, tooth and nail there, nothing like her warbeast form. With an internal frown she examined the smaller fox form. It was so small compared to her other form.....

Looking at Heinrich, she wrapped her tails around his neck, digging her claws slightly into the cracks between the pieces of armor, unsure of what to do. They could be surrounded for all them knew. Looking around an idea came to mind- if she used ice and then melted it to create fog... hm. Where did she learn that one? It seemed familiar, but from where? Swiftly she sent some ice shards flying and then used fire to form a fog. Hopefully it'd be enough to keep the arrows from hitting their marks at the very least. Once again the kitsune glanced at Heinrich for approval.

[Holeypaladin]

The reactions of the fox indicated that she sensed danger... but it seemed she was either unable to talk in this particular form, or simple didn't want to bring attention to them and alert whoever it was that she had sensed to their location. As she climbed onto his shoulder, however, he used his Foundry circuit to summon forth a shield which hovered in front of the guard and the direction in which she indicated the enemy was in. His own armor would provide him sufficient protection from any arrows or other weaponry, but all the fox had was her hide, so the shield was for her sake.

Whoever the enemy was, however, they were intelligent... they had waited until his watchdog spell had worn off, staying far enough away to avoid alerting it, and approached as soon as it had. Additionally, they had caught up to them in a surprisingly short time... which meant that it wasn't a very large force, but rather a smaller, well trained group of hunters.

Noting the clever use of fire and ice to create fog, the knight gave the fox a pat on the head before heading forward, directly into the fox to provide some degree of cover, and conjuring forth a schiavona in one hand and an interesting crossbow with a pump loading mechanism in the other. Finding it easier to see out of the fox than it was to see through it, he located the first of several enemies, carrying what appeared to be a yew longbow and trying to aim through the fox. Lowering the crossbow at the man, he squeezed the trigger and sent a crossbow bolt clean through the man's chest with incredible force, pinning him up against a tree behind him as it knocked him back against it.

An arrow came soaring towards him seemingly out of nowhere, but the hovering shield deflected it harmlessly away from the fox, while a man in a falchion charged forward with a powerful swing. In a precise display of martial skill, the knight sidestepped the swing while simultaneously bringing his sword across the man's abdomen, the magically enhanced blade able to cut through the attacker's brigandine armor and and eviscerate him in a rather painful looking wound. The knight stepped behind a tree as an arrow pierced into it, sticking into the tree solidly.

"How many?" he asked the fox on his shoulder, unable to get a precise count of how many attackers there were due to the concealing nature of the fox, pulling back on the pump loading mechanism of his crossbow and causing another bolt to fall down into position, ready to fire. Though the fog interfered with the enemies' ability to locate them, such forms of concealment usually tended to work both ways.

[Owl0430]

As much as she appreciated his acknowledgement of her clever combination of fire and ice, she had to remember this wasn't the time, nor the place. Which, she was quickly reminded of as an arrow grazed her shoulder from behind- so they were surrounded. On what she could only assume was all sides. It also reminded her that, as strong of a team they made, the weren't invincible. For all she knew their survival up to this point could be sheer dumb luck.

When henrich asked how many enemies there were, she could only point out those she could scent. The hardest part was communication with Heinrich. Taking a moment to think, she eventually came up with something. Looking straight ahead, she yipped quietly three times, the same number of enemies were straight ahead. Looking too the east she yipped twice, as there were two enemies in that direction.


It would be hard to communicate in this form, but she was a smaller and faster target, and her outfit was too far away to retrieve with out risking getting hit. Speaking of which, an arrow thudded into the tree next to them, and its scent was...peculiar. Standing on the edge of Heinrich's shoulder, she stretched out best she could to examine the arrow. Hooked on the edges to make it harder to get out and...poisoned. The arrows were laced with Poison. Growling at the arrow, she curled up on Henrich's shoulder, clearly angry and annoyed. Eventually she hoped to the ground, watching the fog carefully.

Their best bet was to use the fog while it lasted to sprint in the direction with the least amount of enemies. However she couldn't tell how many enemies were behind theme and too the west. Any direction could be risky. Letting out a small noise, she looked up at Heinrich, unsure of what actions to take.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich was unsure whether the fox was unable to speak in her fox form or simply remaining quiet to avoid alerting the enemy to their position, when she confirmed the former by making fox sounds to indicate how many of the enemy she senses in either direction. She counted one more enemy to the east than he had noticed, along with one more ahead of them, confirming to the knight that the fox's senses were indeed efficient at locating the hunters.

And they were indeed hunters.... or rather, poachers more specifically. As one of the attackers attempted to circle around them, the knight counter-stepped to knock aside the single-edged hunting sword before removing the man's head with a false edge strike as he brought his own sword back quickly. He took note of at least three fox tails tied to the man's belt... trophies from past kills, be they kitsune or ordinary fox, as the king had ordered the complete eradication of all foxes due to the nature of kitsunes to hide in such forms. This decision had suddenly turned fox poaching not only legal, but highly profitable, due to the king's bounty on fox tails.

Heinrich had half a mind to kill every single one of the poachers, when a lucky arrow struck a gap between the plates in his armor. Though the gap was protected by chainmail, the tip of the arrow managed to pierce through a link, and while the wound itself was no more than a scratch the likes of which he'd normally be able to endure countless.. the burning sensation accompanying the wound told him these arrows were coated in something toxic. Even poachers never used toxic arrows, as it spoiled the meat of their kill, so these poachers had become simple wildlife assassins due to their greed.

As the fox hopped down from his shoulder, the knight frowned. "Right..." he said to her, "It seems we're surrounded. Let's pick a different battlefield, and fight them on our own terms." Aiming his crossbow at a bush, he put a bolt through the poacher that was concealed within it before incanting, "Jivi, arcanisstok" in the Draconic language. "Let's go," he said to the fox as he climbed onto the phantasmal steed that he had summoned, the same one which he had used to carry her away from the king's men the previous day. Reaching out, he picked the fox up in his hand and rode swiftly away from their camp site, his sword arm cutting a poacher in half as he rode past and cleared the envelopment.