Monster Girls: Fox Without a Shrine

Ishiko pulled on the cigarette and waited, watching the glow slowly fade from the tip. She blew out the breath and lifted her other hand to her mouth to drink from the beer can she was holding. Her breath plumed in a cold cloud over the can. The evening was dreary and the sun was almost set. Fluorescent street lights gave the street a shadowy cast.

Perhaps smoking and drinking on the bench across from the corner market wasn't the best thing to do. But why should she go home? There wasn't anything waiting there for her that she didn't already have here. All she'd get is sore feet to go with her alcohol and nicotine.

So here she sat on a quiet and near-empty corner of Itabashi, just slowly wasting away a minute at a time.

"Hey, you okay?" A passing stranger asked in a horrible foreign accent. Maybe some kind of American or Englishman. She was leaning more English since the accent wasn't necessarily drawling or unintelligible. He actually looked rather pleasant in simple jeans and a collared shirt. He had short black hair with some bits of grey that had to be premature.

"Fine." Ishiko growled and put her cigarette to her lips again.

Only, her cold dismissal didn't make him turn and leave. Instead he turned more purposefully towards her and shook his head, "You sure? I wouldn't mind buying a pretty young woman a cup of coffee."

American. Definitely American. That was the one thing that Ishiko knew about them for certain. Of all the people in the world, Americans were the only ones that were almost indecently nice to strangers and could smile all the time for no reason.

"I'm not fucking destitute. I'm depressed and I've got my own cure for it right here." She shook her beer can at him and then gestured to the four that remained in the rings beside her. She took a chug of it and snarled, "So go away."

The half smile on his face slipped and he shrugged, turning to leave. He spoke as he stepped away from her, "Just because you're not destitute doesn't mean you couldn't find happiness in a free cup of coffee."

He actually gave her a bit of a wave before he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Ishiko scowled and looked down at herself. Did she really look so bad as to attract the pity of strangers?

Yes, admittedly her long straw yellow hair was a bit ragged. But that was because it had been done up for her job and she had been a bit rough in yanking it loose. Her vulpine ears were probably a bit matted with sweat. And yes, her tails were looking a bit dirty and could do with a brushing, but that wasn't her fault. The bench had been splattered in the dirt from weeks of cold weather and snow. Her work outfit, a rather cheap red and white shrine outfit, was dirty from the day at work. That showed she had a job and could take care of herself though, and it was mostly covered in a heavy winter coat anyway.

So why the hell was she being hassled by a random foreigner just for sitting here? Maybe home did have something to offer: a shut door. She put her cigarette in her mouth and got to her feet. Her tails dragged through the dirt on the bench as she grabbed the rest of her beer and started home.

What a day...

*******

The next morning found Ishiko laying in bed trying to work up the energy to just get up. This was nothing out of the ordinary, it had become a daily ritual for her over the last few years. Generally it started with her debating if she really needed to keep her job at the cafe, and then it moved into a wave of self-loathing over her sad life, and then usually she made it to a level of acceptance that the options were work or homelessness. So she felt around for the packet of cigarettes next to her and tapped one out. With it stuck in her mouth, she pushed the blankets back and got up.

Her apartment was... well... it was probably rather average for small Tokyo apartments. A small room with wooden floors, a single set of cabinets with a small sink and a single burner stove. A fridge sat up on the counter and a small washing machine was on the floor below it. A doorway with only a curtain led into a tiny bathroom with a tub barely big enough to stand in. She didn't even get a proper balcony, just a window looking down from the ninth floor and rail overhead to hang laundry outside.

Striking her lighter, she lit the cigarette and took a pull on it before sighing. Another day and she still lived. Might as well try to make something of it. It took her a moment to get to her feet and she shivered violently as soon as she did. Electricity was expensive and therefore so was heat. She settled for pulling open the closet door and grabbing for clothes to pull on.

Plain white panties, no money for anything fancier. No need for a bra, she wasn't exactly well-stacked. She just tugged on a tight undershirt. Then she pulled out her clean work clothes. Much like the set she was wearing last night: Red and white dress in the style of Shinto Priestesses. It took a bit of work to get it on right but she was so well practiced in it that the cigarette didn't fall from her lips once. Then she grabbed her brush and attacked her bedraggled hair. She had taken a shower last night so she wasn't dirty anymore, but her hair and tails took so much effort to keep nice...

A half-hearted brushing later and her blonde locks were looking okay and her tails weren't matted anymore. All three were somewhat fluffy and not hanging quite as sad. She pulled on her cigarette one last time and then put it out in the ash tray sitting on the counter. Her eyes fell to the futon on the floor. In days past she might have bothered cleaning it up and getting it properly put away in the closet. Leaving her apartment clean on her way out the door to work just didn't seem worth the effort. By the end of her shift, she'd be too tired to care and would likely just eat some take out before having a shower and falling back into bed again.

So instead she went to her kitchen counter and set about making a cup of instant coffee. It was hot and cheap but it filled a need and warmed her up a bit more. Once that was done, she leaned down and pulled the wet clothes out of the washing machine. Last night's work clothes would need to hang dry for tomorrow and the weather report still wasn't nice enough to allow her to put them outside her window yet. So she strung them up above her tub and left them there to dry.

Her morning ritual largely complete, Ishiko slipped her phone, wallet, and cigarettes into the hidden interior pockets of her outfit. Then she pulled on her shoes and wrapped up in her winter coat before heading out the door. Her work was a little more than a half hour walk away and she spent it fascinating about the different ways she might die before getting there. Her favorite of late was someone rushing past and accidentally knocking her into the street in front of one of the bigger trucks as it rumbled past. To that end she had begun walking at the edge of the sidewalk in hopes someone might do it.

The cafe she worked at was a rather popular one in Itabashi. It was styled in rustic wood with plush bench seating around dimly lit private tables. All of the wait staff were dressed as though the place were a Shinto shrine and they acted the part with quiet, polite demeanors. The place was known for its simple, high quality food and a rather romantic atmosphere.

Naturally, a fox woman like Ishiko was immensely popular at such a place. The owner paid her well enough to be a waitress and a mascot for the place. Well enough. She snorted at the thought. Her apartment ate up most of her income, and her addictions took care of the rest. Smoking, drinking, and sometimes even a meal or two.

Ishiko pushed through the front door of the cafe with a tinkle of chimes. She looked around with a sigh. The other two waitresses were already here and in the process of tidying up the tables and floor. The cook stood over his prep table behind the counter and was rapidly chopping some vegetables.

"Morning Ishiko." One of waitresses said. Ishiko returned the greeting and set to helping them.

The morning passed just like any other day. Customers came and went. Ishiko shuffled about taking orders and bringing food to the tables. Things went exactly as they always did, boring and simple, until after lunch was over. Ishiko had stepped outside to have a smoke.

She was raising her lighter to the cigarette when something caught her eye and made her groan. That same foreigner from yesterday was walking down the street. From where she stood in front of the cafe, she could either let him see her or give up a few precious minutes of her smoke break to duck back inside. She settled on lighting the smoke and keeping her eyes down.

"Oh hey, it's you." The bad accent made her cringe again and she forced her face upward to frown at the man. She was technically still on shift so she couldn't say anything untoward or act too harsh. The man had stopped in front of her and smiled down at her, hands casually slung in his pockets. Today he had added a suit coat to his collared shirt and jeans.

"Yeah." Ishiko growled, her eyes narrowing.

"I never got to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Thomas Carr." The man said with a genial tone and a bow of his head.

"Ishiko." Ishiko returned the bow out of habit more than respect.

"Ishiko. How beautiful." He said.

"Is there something you want?" Ishiko said, her patience for this man entirely expended.

He shrugged, "Well I still wouldn't mind buying you that cup of coffee."

The man was either completely oblivious or so far in denial that Ishiko couldn't actually comprehend it. She dragged on her cigarette and huffed out the breath before saying, "No, American, I don't want anything to do with you. Leave me alone."

The man's smile faltered for just a second but then it was back and he raised his hands in surrender, "Alright. Alright. Can't blame a guy. Goodbye Ishiko."

He turned and walked away with another wave. Ishiko just groaned and shook her head. She finished her cigarette and flicked out the ember before dropping the butt in the garbage. Work might be annoying but at least the customers rarely ever propositioned her...

*******

The next day, business was wrapping up with just a slow trickle of customers coming in for a late dinner. Ishiko walked over to a table where a man just sat down.

"Good evening. Welcome to-" Ishiko cut off when she saw Thomas sitting there. He held a menu in front of him and looked up at her. A broad smile crossed his face and Ishiko groaned quietly, "What do you want?"

"You know what I want. But for now I think I'll take a bowl of black garlic ramen." He said with a gesture at one of the menu items.

Ishiko turned and brought his order to the kitchen without another word. It took little time for it to get made and she delivered it to him without a word. He seemed to take this in stride as well and dug in without comment. He paid up and left without saying another thing to her. Then by the time they were entirely cleaned up for the night, she had almost entirely forgotten about him. So when she stepped out in the cold night air, the voice calling her name was a surprise.

"Ishiko. Hey, Ishiko." Thomas called from where he stood by the street. He wore a heavier coat this time and had it zipped up tightly. His hands were stuffed its pockets and he smiled brightly at her when he saw her.

"Okay, I'm either going to call the police or shove you in the street. Leave me alone." Ishiko said with a warning tone. Her hand slipped into her pocket and she gripped her phone.

"Hey now. I just thought I'd offer to walk you home. It's a cold night and I thought you might like some company." He said with a shake of his head.

Ishiko started briskly down the sidewalk, "No. Go away."

"Come on. You told me your name. Why won't you let me get to know you?" Thomas called, following after her.

"I was being polite. My mistake. I don't want to know you." She said, hurrying her pace. It was useless though because, without flat out running, she couldn't outpace the much taller man's steps. In her work clothes, running wasn't much of an option anyway so she just kept up the quick pace hoping that he would lose interest.

Thomas let out a huff, easily keeping pace with her, and said, "But you don't know me! So how can you know if you want to know me?"

"What makes you think you want to know me?" Ishiko snarled, getting quite frustrated with the foreigner's persistence.

"Because I can't get the image of you sitting on that bench out of my mind!" Thomas said with a wild gesture, "You just looked so-"

"What? How did I look? Pathetic? Sad? Pitiable?" Ishiko yelled angrily, refusing to even turn and look at him as she rushed down the dark and empty sidewalk.

"You looked lost." Thomas said. Ishiko stumbled. Her foot caught a lip in the sidewalk and she tripped. Her arms flailed and she felt strong hands grab her shoulder and arm. She was pulled back upright. She looked up as Thomas let go of her and held his hands up, "Sorry. You tripped."

Ishiko's heart was pounding and not entirely because she almost fell on her face. Her tails twitched erratically and she finally looked up into Thomas's eyes, "What would a foreigner like you know? What do you even mean I looked lost?"

"You look like someone who's missing something treasured. A sailboat without a sail. A mother without her child. A lover left alone." Thomas said, slowly sliding his hands back into his pockets. He gave a shrug, "Everyone clings to something in life that gives them meaning. A career or a family or something. You've lost yours and it hurts."

The thudding of her heart abruptly stopped as ice filled her veins. Her ears and tail drooped, and she looked away from Thomas. Her throat felt tight but she managed to say, "Okay."

"Huh?" He cocked his head.

"Okay. You can walk me home." She mumbled, her fingers curling into fists. She turned from him and continued walking. This seemed to surprise him and it took him a second to hop forward and catch up.

To Ishiko's surprise, he showed amazing decorum by not immediately saying anything or jumping into a bunch of questions. Instead he just stayed silent and walked at her side for the next few blocks. At the next corner Ishiko stopped and turned to him, "How did you know?"

"I'm good at reading people." Thomas said and then he shrugged, "And I guess I've been there."

Ishiko's first reaction was denial. How could he possibly know or understand? But then a bit of her brain actually started working and she instead said, "What did you lose?"

"My wife. Married her in high school. Thought we'd be together forever." He said with as much calm as someone commenting on the weather. Or someone who had grown very good at suppressing the emotion in his voice.

Ouch. So that comment about a lover wasn't just poetic. Ishiko's ears twitched and she scratched at one of them. This was the moment he was going to ask her the question. Ask her the same thing she had rudely asked him. But he didn't. He stayed quiet and just watched her. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and turned away from him. The tap of her boots on the sidewalk was loud in the night as she kept walking.

Thomas kept pace with her without saying anything more. They made it all the way to the front door of her apartment building. She turned to him and looked up at his face, "Hey... If you come by the cafe again, I'll buy your meal."

"Thanks. Have a good night Ishiko. I'll see you around." He said with another smile.

Then he just waved and walked away like that. No pushing. No awkward conversation. Nothing. She raised her hand and almost called out to him, but what would she say? She'd been nothing but a cold shoulder to him up until now. So she just watched him walk away before going back in to go to bed.

*******

The following day at work, Ishiko found herself looking up at the door everytime it opened. She normally paid it no mind and just ignored people until they sat down. Today though, she instead spent the whole day looking for him, but he never came. By the time they closed up, she was feeling lower than usual. He had seemed surprisingly thoughtful and empathetic. She'd been her usual brusque ass self and now she'd scared him off. She didn't even know why she cared so much! That didn't make any sense either! It's not like she was some high school age maiden stricken with her first crush. She might not look that old, but she was in her thirties!

Her mood had grown downright foul by the time she shoved out the door and headed for home. Her depression had evolved an entire new side of self loathing. Her work week was over and she intended to go to a bar and get very, very drunk. She'd probably be a belligerent asshole to some poor server and then stumble her way home in a blitzed stupor. Maybe if she got drunk enough this time she could find a nice way to finally off herself.

"Hey Ishiko." The call made her stop in her tracks. She blinked and looked up. Thomas stood on the sidewalk again, this time he was holding two paper cups that were steaming. Snow had started to fall and flakes had settled into his black hair, leaving it looking more salt than pepper. He held one cup out to her, "Coffee?"

Ishiko pursed her lips together before she said anything. She carefully took the hot cup and calmly said, "I thought you were going to come by for a free meal? I offered."

He shrugged and sipped his coffee, "Yeah but I rarely get off work early enough. If I had come in, you lot would've been forced to stay open later. So instead I went to the corner and finally got you that cup of coffee."

"Thanks." Ishiko blushed and sipped at it. It was dark with a bit of sugar. Not quite how she liked it but she wasn't going to say anything. She couldn't handle the taste of any more of her own foot tonight.

"Walk you home again?" He asked.

She sipped again and quietly asked, "Sure."

They started walking, this time at a much more sedate pace than the day before. Ishiko slowly drank her coffee, hoping the cup might last all the way home so she wouldn't have to talk. Now that Thomas had actually showed up, she wasn't feeling quite as depressed but her self-loathing had multiplied tenfold.

"So how was your day?" Thomas asked politely.

And that was as far as she could go. She stopped and turned to him. He met her eyes with a jovial smile and sipped at his coffee. She felt her guts twisting and she forced out the question, "Why did you come back? I've been nothing but a bitch to you. You show concern for me, a total stranger, and I'm cold to you. You come back around and I'm mean. You offer to keep me company on my walk home and I do nothing but-"

"You're cute." He cut in when she tried to talk a breath, "And I want to get to know you."

She might've sworn she heard the snowflakes sizzling when they landed on her face. It was a surprise that she didn't actually light up the dark with how bright red her face had to be glowing. She shook her head and squeaked, "Don't just say that! How can you just say that?"

"Because it's the truth." He said softly.

Her eyes flitted around and she took a quick drink of her coffee again. It took her a minute to pluck up the courage to speak, "Um. I was gonna go to the bar. Did you want to come have a drink?"

"I think that sounds wonderful." Thomas nodded.

She started off and took a turn at the next corner. A little ways from her apartment was a handful of food stands that were popular with the nightlife of Itabashi. Being a district with a lot of universities, there was no shortage of students up late at night in need of food and drink. Ishiko led them over to one and hopped up onto one of the stools.

"Evening! What can I do for you two?" The man behind the counter asked as Thomas sat down next to Ishiko.