Moments after the werehyena pack left Morgana's shop, Kristi Wenzel and Joelle Bowman walked in. The two girls had anxious looks on their faces.
Morgana smiled cordially at them. "Kristi, Joelle, welcome back. You'll be pleased to know that things are all set with Kyūri Sensei and his sumo heya. My apprentices will prepare a ritual to send you to Japan that should be ready the day after tomorrow. Oh, a word of advice regarding Kyūri Sensei. That kappa's a tough old codger. He reveres the art of sumo, and he refuses to allow it to be disrespected or treated lightly. He's already not especially pleased that you're signing up mostly to get fat again, Kristi, so I'd show him extreme enthusiasm to master the sport if I were you. And always do as he says. He's doubtless afraid he's getting a pampered, lazy glorified tourist of an American who'll quit at the first sign of difficulty. If you give him the slightest reason to believe that's indeed what he got, he'll grab a hold of you with those muscular arms of his and toss you halfway to Mongolia. That's barely an exaggeration by the way."
"Understood," said Kristi.
"For your sake, I hope it is," Morgana said.
"And don't forget your manners either," Vivi, who had come out to mop the shop floor, added. "You should probably read a book on Japanese etiquette before leaving. Remember to bow and stuff. Just don't expect him to bow back; he'd spill his head water and get paralyzed."
"Paralyzed?" asked Kristi.
"Head water?" Joelle added.
Vivi chuckled. "Not huge anime watchers, huh? A kappa has a dish-like dent in its head called a sara. Its full of water from the river the kappa lives in. If a kappa ever spills the water from its sara, it get paralyzed until someone takes the unlucky turtle person down to the river for a refill. Keep that in mind if you ever end up wrestling a kappa."
"As for you, Joelle," Morgana went on, "I expect you to do any chores Kyūri Sensei assigns you with a smile and no complaints. Otherwise, he'll likely start charging you money to stay with Kristi. Kyūri really isn't a 'something for nothing' kind of yokai. On that note, I suggest bringing cucumbers as gifts when you arrive to get started on the right foot. They're his favorite food, and he always appreciates being given more."
"That's great," said Kristi, "but that's not the reason we're here, Morgana. I'm here because my mind's being invaded by weird thoughts. I keep wanting to pull these inconsiderate pranks on people, and I'm seriously horny all the time, and I'm getting restless for no reason. Is this a werevixen thing?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Morgana. "The werefox psychology is a fundamentally childish one, you see."
"If children were constantly horny, that is," Dani added, continuing to restock the shelves.
"Exactly," said Morgana. "Your new brain is very long on impulse and very short on consequences. All id, almost no superego. You aren't an entire sociopath, of course, but relating to others is tricky for your kind. Some say it requires true love or a familial connection for you to pull it off quite right. Hell, you can barely decide what's best for YOU in the long run. And either pay for that or put it back."
Kristi embarrassedly put back a pack of tarot cards she'd slipped into her pocket. "Sorry. Did that without thinking."
"That's exactly your problem," said Morgana. "Your vixen nature fills your head with all these madcap notions, and disables any mental defenses that might shoot them down. I'm just glad you came to seek help. Most werefoxes don't even realize there's anything wrong with their irresponsible lifestyle. The solution's really quite simple. I can't do much about the thoughtless, immature impulses that come into your head, but I can re-enable your good judgment that stops you from acting on them. I am essentially giving you back your inhibitions."
"It's funny," Joelle observed, "people usually say 'uninhibited' like it's a good thing."
"Most people will never experience the disaster that is living completely without inhibitions," said Morgana. "If they ever met a creature as shameless as a werefox, they'd reconsider."
"I'll say!" said Kristi. "I actually flashed my fucking boobs at a stranger on the way here! I'm lucky I wasn't arrested."
"It would've only been a matter of time," Vivi said. "Werefoxes are always in trouble with someone. The human law, a vampire clan, a pack of other werebeasts, a demon, an angel, an ex-lover or five, you name it."
"It really is a wonder this remedy isn't more popular," said Morgana, handing a potion bottle to Kristi. "This is a werefox inhibitor potion. The immature thoughts will still be there, but you'll regain your ability to think about the consequences on other people and you. You'll be able to overcome those urges and behave yourself. I would NOT go study with Kyūri Sensei without a nice, big stash of these. You'd say or do something cheeky or stupid, and he'd expel you after a good clobbering."
"Speaking of werefoxes and Japan," said Joelle, "is there such a thing as kitsune, and do they act as audacious as werefoxes?"
"Oh, kitsune are perfectly real," Morgana answered. "They share a common ancestor with werefoxes, in fact. They're born with one tail, and grow more as they age. They can have up to nine, and they gain new magic powers with each tail. As for personality similarities with their Western brethren, it depends on the subspecies. The yako, also called the nogistsune, is a breed of kitsune every bit as selfish and reckless as the werefox. They lack the spiritual character of other kitsune and delight in stealing and pranking. The older and more powerful ones even have a fondness for possessing people, like the wickedest sort of witch." Morgana sniffed, clearly aggravated with any witch who would dare live up to the fearful stereotype. "Of course, there are other kitsune. These are the zenko, also called Inari kitsune. As the second name implies, these kitsune serve Inari, the Shinto kami of fertility, rice, and prosperity."
"Did you know Inari often likes to take the form of a herm?" Vivi chimed in. "That's probably why five percent of Hir chosen race are also herms. That may not sound like much, and it's nowhere near the sixty percent ratio of the tanuki, but it's still pretty high when compared to humans or most varieties of werebeast."
"All true, dear," Morgana said to her daughter. "Like I was saying, the zenko are the kitsune who are loyal to Inari. They hear Hir voice in their dreams and try to work Hir will on Earth in the hopes that Shi will bestow Hir divine favor on them.. They can be gently mischievous, but their humor is always flavored with kindness."
"What kinds of divine favor does Inari bestow?" asked Kristi.
"Could be anything," said Morgana. "Sometimes an extra tail a few decades early, sometimes a gift of food, sometimes a promotion up the ranks of the zenko tribes. The zenko who most closely mirror Inari's own nature and spirit are sometimes transformed into herms or blessed with a cub who is born one."
"Is it possible for a werefox to become a zenko kitsune?" asked Kristi.
"Hard to say," said Morgana. "Inari and Hir servants are a bit outside of my area of expertise, but I wouldn't say anything's impossible. That word and magic don't go together."
"I hope to find out," Kristi said as she paid for the werefox inhibitor potion. "Being a zenko sounds much more fun than being a regular werevixen."
Kristi took a sip of her new potion. She felt a change in her mind. While her brain was still full of mischief, now she could envision where that mischief would lead if she acted on it, usually nowhere good. For the first time since it manifested, Kristi felt like she was the master of her werevixen instincts rather than the other way around.
"Feel better?" asked Vivi, flirtily pinching Dani's ass as she passed her.
"Lots," said Kristi. "Feels like my real self's back in control. Thanks, everybody!" Kristi was so happy that she was practically dancing as she and Joelle left for their hotel room.