***Observer's Prospective***
On the last rainy Scorday of Tranquil, four days from the season of Harvest, Enda, the Phoenix Witch, found herself perplexed by an idea brought forth by her foster daughter.
Enda wore her regular adventuring clothes lazily, with her loose white blouse unbuttoned, and hotpants unbelted. Rarely did she find the time to simply sit down and do nothing.
In one hand, the mature woman held a small crystal cube, with complex magic circles engraved on its surface, and with the other, a warm cup of coffee.
Perfectly cozy in a large chair with a nearby crackling fire, she crossed her legs and rested her cup on a small circular deep red coffee table.
"Yeahyeahyeah, but trust me! Back in my world, Photos are are still used! They've also been used to spy on people, take pictures of secret things, all that stuff!"
Arisu, a pure snow white Kitsune wearing her white tailor-made hoodie, argued her case. While clearly oversized in the chest area and longer than needed, it was exactly the attire that she desired.
Enda did wonder if she ever looked in the mirror to notice how it hid her small grey pants, but decided it was best for something to discover on her own, such as how shameless she could appear.
That, and she wished Arisu to feel comfortable in her new home, oh so far away from where she was born.
"I am well aware of the benefits of that technology. We have plenty of Mother Earth's camera's downstairs. However, as it stands, I have the Copies, thus, I do not need such a device"
"Uh-huh, 'Such a device' eh? What did you name it? Timeshots? Frozen sight?"
Surprised that her daughter easily saw through her misleading words, Enda lifted her eyebrow then responded with the name given by a former student, responsible for creating the crystal cube that could capture memories.
"Stills"
"No, that's not stupid enough"
"I- did no-"
"That explains it"
Each of the two women had become well acquainted with each other's quirks.
Arisu's lackluster ability to explain simple concepts had brought Enda much amusement, as well as her inability to cook. To the reincarnated beings' credit, the Witch believed she had made a decent amount of progress.
Odd traits aside, Enda had also grown aware of Arisu's downfalls.
Although the Kitsune often refused to open up about her past life, interpreting hidden information was a skill her guardian made great use of, despite keeping those discoveries mostly secret.
Each revelation understood, she would test in an obtuse way.
"Arisu I understand you find my inability to name things humorous, but please do not cut me off when I'm speaking"
"Oh, I- uh, it's a bad habit"
Enda spoke in a relaxed tone, so as to not appear harsh. The moment her two tailed daughter scratched a perfectly smooth check, she understood the revelation she uncovered.
'Progress is progress' the Phoenix Witch thought to herself, 'Perhaps I should give her a little leeway'.
"Habits aside, developing a commercial Still Shot is not a priority, although, I would not hinder you if an attempt was made to pursue that goal"
"Really!? That's perfect!"
Noticing a possible disaster developing in the white foxes mind, Enda rubbed her forehead with concern.
"Oh dear"
"I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere!"
Arisu bolted into her room, flicking aside the doorway of beads built to stop her 'enthusiastic' movement. Within the span of a second, clothes were flung around and she emerged once more on her adventures outfit of white robes with soft padded under armour.
"Mind filling me in with what's going on in that head of yours?"
"Well, I'm going to get others interested in that photo cube thing by taking a few pictures"
"Good luck with that"
"I don't need luck, I've got something better. B-R-B!"
And with that, Arisu sprinted out of the room, running on the walls as she left at an absurd speed.
'Typical' Enda kept her thoughts to herself 'and of course she used slang from her world', one more quirk of an already extensive list.
***
Five minutes passed before Arisu returned with her close friend. A princely individual with bronzed skin who wore an old brown leather duster coat over a elegant black suit.
Merrah, a tall Nyx whose combat achievements seemed unfit for her slender figure, stood behind the Kitsune as if hiding behind one's parents in an act of uncertainty.
Yet, her expression refused to betray her true feelings.
According to several metal slates held deep within a secret archive, Merrah shared many traits with her mother, who's remains rested in a tree in the courtyard behind Enda's home.
What the Witch couldn't see was Merrah's hands running through Arisu's silky smooth hidden tails, invisible thanks to illusion magic.
"How does the rank one bounty hunter factor into plan of yours- I do so wonder"
"This beautiful tanned dark elf is gonna help model with me"
"..."
Arisu spun around to see if she could stir any sort of reaction from her friend, going as far as to slide her across Merrah's chin, only to find her heart remained as cold as ice.
The same could not be said about Enda, who felt disgusted.
"Really? Nothing?"
'So, she's trying to lower the walls around her heart' Enda thought.
Despite misunderstanding Arisu's intentions, the Witch still saw such affection between women, fake or not, as disturbing.
Enda herself had very little interest in love outside of novels, to which mostly consisted of romance between men or a more traditional pairing. A secret she guarded at all costs.
On more than one occasion, a book was obliterated before its cover could be read by a quick footed Kitsune.
"Anyway-"
Arisu darted in and back out of her room with a few pieces of paper, alongside an odd fox mask, its origin tied to Japanese folklore.
"Think you could make these to fit us? Oh and enchant this so I lose my sense of touch"
"There are no eye holes…"
Interested in the mask, Enda picked it up to study. She could have sworn she saw something similar before, but knew it wasn't Arisu thanks to the lack of sight.
"Yeah that's on purpose. Should be easier to enchant it like that right?"
"..."
'What is she up to?' Arisu's reasoning was beyond Enda's comprehension. Nevertheless, she agreed to help, interested in where this was going.
"And these?"
After the Witch pointed at the scraps of paper with doodles on them, Arisu quickly responded in a manner befitting of one speaking from experience.
"There are only two methods to ensure the scientific advancement of any field. One is war"
"And the other?"
"Softcore pornography!"
If Enda left now, it would go against her word to not hinder Arisu's attempt to commercialize a means of taking photos, or, as a former student named them; 'Stills'.
And yet, dread filled her stomach as she looked down at the pieces of paper on her coffee table that depicted two sets of bikinis. Cow Print, and another with excess strings of fabric that matched the shoulders of Merrah's coat.
'That cunning little fox'