Mama Fox

<Zuri>

Has everyone lost their minds!?

Pacing back and forth in the living room, Zuri struggled to control the flames coating his body.

It was one thing for that old woman to suggest something so obscene but for those others to agree….!

‘Ugh!’

There were just no words!

Who did they think they were!?

“Z-Zuri, why don’t we take a break for a while?” (C)

A soft voice beckoned to him.

Abruptly stopping in his tracks, Zuri eyed the fool awkwardly holding a paint brush.

“A break?” (Z)

His eyes narrowed.

“A break from what, exactly?” (Z)

“T-The painting…?” (C)

‘Ah’

Right.

The painting.

They were painting.

Walking back to the chair, Zuri took a seat and gradually started to calm himself. The flames coating his body tapered away as he searched for an easy distraction. He stared at the painting before himself and then looked to its side. A poor imitation sat comfortably next to his work. Naturally, it was Cleodora’s doing. Despite growing up surrounded by highly skilled artisans, she was yet to develop the skill in any arts. A byproduct of the fact she’d spend most of her time training.

Zuri hadn’t intended to teach her, but her endless begging to join him was impossible to ignore.

He set up the spare canvas he used to leave works to dry for her.

Initially, he had ignored as she sat by him and painted, but a single glance over caused him to act. He couldn’t bring himself to ignore such shoddy work! Kitsune were a people of the arts and Zuri was no different in that regard. It was something they all held very dearly to themselves. Arts were the main thing that brought the community together. Families and friends would bond through art. Parents would teach kids, kids would teach their siblings, and siblings would in turn teach their friends. Even lovers weren’t exempt from this. It was a common tradition for those seeking to be married to create a piece together.

One that symbolised their future.

“You need to be gentler with your strokes.” (Z)

Studying Cleodora’s work, Zuri pointed out each and every flaw.

“Don’t rush when blending. Take your time until it feels right.” (Z)

“Right!” (C)

She responded with an enthusiasm worthy of her “Hero” title.

A silence encapsulated the two of them as they continued to work.

Occasionally broken by a short word or demonstration by Zuri.

Hours passed like this, and before long the sun touched the horizon.

‘I need to get started on dinner…’

Having indulged a little too long in the silent pleasure, Zuri set his brush down.

“That will be all for today.” (Z)

“Ah, yes. Thank you for the lesson!” (C)

Staring at his semi-complete work, Zuri gave a satisfied hum. He hadn’t managed to finish it due to constantly having to guide Cleodora but he still happy with its progress. The striking imagery of the Manticore was coming along swimmingly. In a world where beings such as this existed, it down right criminal not to capture their beauty. Hence why Zuri more often than not chooses to seize the image of beings one could only dream of in his last life.

“…Did something happen at the herbalist?” (C)

Before Zuri got up to go, he found himself staring down the barrel of a rather pointed question.

His inability to control his small outburst was coming to backbite him.

‘Damn it…’

It should’ve been expected. In fact, it was a bit odd she hadn’t asked anything until now considering she had already been back when he arrived. Though, judging by the soft tone of her voice, it was likely she held back while waiting for him to cool off. It wasn’t like Zuri had skipped in happily. Cleodora had probably been waiting to ask him since he arrived but due to his mood, stopped herself.

…It was no wonder she suddenly requested for a lesson.

How devious.

“No, nothing happened at the herbalist.” (Z)

Zuri sighed.

Recalling the words of the women, his eyebrows knit.

“It just appears that everyone has suddenly become an expert in my marriage.” (Z)

“…Oh.” (C)

What a poor choice of words!

Seeing Cleodora abruptly freeze, Zuri instantly regretted the words uttered by himself.

“Don’t make that face!” (Z)

“W-What face?” (C)

She averted her whole head away from him.

“…This is so stupid.” (Z)

Getting up from the chair, Zuri walked into the kitchen.

“Um, no, wait!” (C)

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground rang and soon, Cleodora appeared.

Zuri didn’t acknowledge her presence.

Merely going about preparing the meal he should’ve started long ago.

“Ah, um… Did I do something wrong?” (C)

If an outsider were to have witnessed that event which just happened, they would quickly answer no. After all, what was problem about one partner acknowledging the status of the relationship of the two? But, unlike those uneducated fools, Zuri knew the exact harm caused by such an action! He was already treading on a slippery slope with this arrangement of theirs. Acknowledging it for more than it was threatened a breakdown like no other.

“Can’t you see I’m busy?” (Z)

“I see…” (C)

Feeling an intense gaze locked onto him, Zuri turned back.

She was doing it again….

“Go wash up. Dinner will be ready by the time you’re back.” (Z)

“Oh, I already did when I came back from—” (C)

“Go again. You reek of paint.” (Z)

“Right….” (C)

After watching Cleodora gloomily walk out of the kitchen, Zuri returned back to his work.

‘Why must she always behave like an animal?’

Probably because she was one.

Zuri sighed as he pulled out ingredients from the pantry.

Was it really too much of an ask for her not to look at him?

Was it wrong to expect her not to?

On the basic physiological level, Zuri understood the desire. Everything that lived was bound by the same fundamental truths: Movement, Respiration, Growth, Excretion, Nutrition, Sensitivity and, lastly, Reproduction. It was these characteristics that defined their entire existence, what made them alive. It wasn’t inherently wrong for a living thing to exhibit these traits and fulfil their desires that drove them to be alive. One could no sooner blame a lion for felling an antelope than blame the wind for blowing. It was simply the price of being.

By this logic, it would be wrong of Zuri to expect Cleodora to be different.

She was an animal, a living thing bound by these same constraints.

If anything, he was the odd one for turning down a partner many would consider perfect and lacking that base desire….

‘That doesn’t matter!’

Shaking himself out of that idiotic train of thought, Zuri cried out in his heart.

The “wrongness” or “rightness” of his actions hardly mattered.

It didn’t change the fact he absolutely was against intense intimacy!

‘But if I don’t—!’

Clutching the kitchen countertop, Zuri weighed his options.

Completely refusing intimacy with Cleodora like he was currently doing would only last for so long.

“Desire hardly ever disappears, especially for the ones you love dearest.”

There was a modicum of truth in the herbalist's words.

It was no secret that Cleodora’s fancy of him was to the extreme.

How much longer would she hold until finally breaking?

“Penetration is not always required.”

A mixture of disgust and embarrassment weld up in Zuri.

If there was a way air out her desire, wouldn’t it be best to do it before she takes matters in her own hands?

Zuri clutched his head.

The thought alone that he would willingly partake in that nonsense was too much.

But.

That result of not doing would be ten times worse.

Steadying his heart, Zuri got back to working on dinner.

“Please talk to her, Princess.”

The final words of the herbalist echoed deeply.

…Maybe he should listen to her just this once.