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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

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FoxTown, Chapter four

Spending time with the Rengoku family

Word count: 4800+

An ache in Tanjiro's stomach woke him before the smell of food did. He lifted his head groggily while rubbing at his eyes, which felt crusted and gross, before glancing around the room.

At first he felt panicked, he didn't recognize any of the walls or decor. He wasn't in his own home he couldn't smell his siblings or mother-

Then it all came rushing back as he registered that smoky scent in the air.

Rengoku, he was in Rengoku's family home.

While that revelation didn't really relax him he was grateful to know he was not in any danger. If anyone had wanted to eat or kidnap him, that would have been the best time to do it.

Looking around Tanjiro realized there was no window or clock to let him know what time it was or how long he'd been asleep for. His eyes eventually landed on the pile of clothing and bedding by the door and realized that underneath his blanket he was still very naked.

"Oh!" He scrambled over and quickly grabbed hold of the garments: a red kimono with black Hakama pants. He took note of the little flame patterns along the bottom of the pants. The fabric felt soft and expensive, his family couldn't afford anything like this… knowing that he would be wearing this quality of clothing fueled his guilt. But he also wasn't one to turn down kind hospitality! So he pushed the negative feelings aside as he quickly got dressed. He would deal with the bedding later, right now the scent of food wafting through the house had him drooling, he was starving.

Before exiting the room Tanjiro moved towards the mirror, he inspected his clothing briefly before he reached up to gently rub at the tanuki ears on the top of his head. It was obvious that everytime he fell asleep his transformation undid itself, and a brief moment of panic ran through when he realized Senjuro had likely seen him in his actual form rather than the fake fox one when he had come to deliver the bedding and clothes. And Rengoku too back when he had hit his head.

But if they had, wouldn't the family have kicked him out for sure? If not for being a tanuki but at least for lying to them? Did by some miracle no one had noticed yet, or if they did they were just that kind? Tanjiro hoped for the latter, but just to be on the safe side he brought back the Fox ears and tail then left the room.

The house was pretty large, when Tanjiro glanced down hallways he saw even more rooms and hallways, all looking the same except for maybe a bit of decor differences. Lucky for him he had a powerful nose, and following the smell of cooking food led him exactly to where he wanted to be. Though as he got closer he relied less on the smell and more on the repetitive "Tasty!" he heard coming from the room up ahead.

"Tasty!"

Entering the dining hall Tanjiro was greeted by the sight of the family all around a table enjoying a meal. He recognized Rengoku, Senjuro and their father. But sitting right beside him was a new face, a fox woman with black hair and red eyes. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm and she looked frail.

'Their mother, maybe?' Tanjiro thought to himself as he recalled some of the stories Rengoku had told him before.

"Hello Tanjiro. Are you hungry?" Senjuro asked.

"Come sit!" Rengoku patted one of the seat cushions beside him and after a moment of hesitation Tanjiro gave a small bow and scurried over to sit.

"Thank you for having me…."

The table was so laden with delicious smelling food, making his mouth water, that Tanjiro almost didn't notice the tense atmosphere his appearance had created. He glanced around briefly; Rengoku was still finishing his meal, Senjuro was preoccupied getting Tanjiro his portion, the father had a few scrolls on the table beside him he was looking through and their mother was sitting quietly as she ate. He wasn't sure if he would be getting an introduction from her…

"Here." Looking to his side Tanjiro saw Senjuro offering him a bowl of rice and some chopsticks. "Please, eat up."

The welcoming smiles from either fox at his side helped him relax enough to take a few bites.

And then that's all he needed to surrender to his hunger and eat his fill. He was glad they had fish on the table because he wasn't sure if he would want to touch any of the other meat dishes. But plenty of steamed vegetables, cooked fish and rice filled his belly till he was once again feeling drowsy. He had to force himself to stop before he triggered a longer sleep.

"Was it good?" Senjuro asked eagerly.

"Yes it was! It was delicious!"

"Senjuro is a fantastic cook!" Rengoku praised his little brother, earning a bashful "I am not." In response.

"You are!" Tanjiro insisted, and the boy shrank in on himself, but it was hard to hide the very proud smile on his face.

"So how did you sleep?" Rengoku asked. "I believe we last saw each other two days ago."

"It was good!" Tanjiro smiled. "I really needed it, I felt so tired-" he froze suddenly as the last sentence really sank in. "Two days!?"

"Mh! You must have been very stressed out and tired. It's currently the afternoon, and two days since you arrived. We thought it best to leave you alone."

"Two days… two days…" Tanjiro felt all his negative emotions roll back in full force. His family- his hibernation! He must have nearly slipped into it at that time, if it hadn't been for his need for food he might not have woken up. Thank god he hadn't fully slipped away or he might have suffered a lot more.

His shoulders sagged low as a dejected look took over his face.

"Tanjiro?" Rengoku tilted his head to try and get a better look at the boy.

"M-my family… " he muttered and then his hand lashed out to grab hold of the blonde's arm. "Please! My family will be worried sick, it's been a week since they last saw me. I have to contact them somehow!" His hands began to shake and his eyes started to sting from the threat of tears.

Rengoku gently put a hand over his and squeezed. "Calm down, my boy, it's alright. We can help you send a message, that won't be a problem."

Real relief slowly slipped into Tanjiro's stomach. "Really..?"

"Really." The fox assured him with a soft smile.

"In the meantime," The father finally spoke up, rolling up the scroll he had been reading and setting it down on the table to look at Tanjiro with those dark eyes. "We will discuss what we're doing with you."

It took Tanjiro a moment to collect himself, this would be the conversation to decide his fate. Or at least that's what it felt like with both family heads sitting across from him.

The tanuki let Rengoku go and quickly straightened himself, hands resting in his lap as he took on a more serious expression. He'd be able to contact his family, so that was one issue dealt with. Onto the next.

"Thank you again for letting me into your home, I greatly appreciate your hospitality!" He said with another bow, head nearly hitting the table.

"Enough of that." The nine tailed fox grunted. "Besides, thank Kyojuro. He fought tooth and claw for me to let you stay, if it were just up to me you'd be off in the street!" The man growled softly as he glanced at his son. "I know he can be stubborn but this was ridiculous." He almost sounded tired just from the memory of the conversation.

"You did…?" Tanjiro slowly lifted his head to look at Rengoku. Who was just his usual wide eyed and smiling self.

"Boy." His attention whipped back to the Rengoku patriarch. He was leaning back, arms crossed and face stern. "You won't be going home anytime soon." Tanjiro swallowed a lump in his throat, expecting the worst. "You'll likely spend all of winter here."

"What!?" That really was the worst!

"We have to deal with the trespasser causing trouble on the mountain, which will take time." Was he referring to the Yuki Oona? "And the mountain pathways get more dangerous as the season goes on, the snow covers so much that only the most experienced hunter's can find their way around, and that doesn't include all the hidden cliffs and falls now made worse because of the ice. FoxTown shuts down its entrance during winter so no one can enter and no one can leave because of that. You're going to be here till spring whether you like it or not."

Ah this really was the worst… Tanjiro had hoped he'd be able to go home as quickly as he could, but by the sounds of it that would be risking his life. Could he really be spending five months here?

"Your lucky Kyojuro found you at all while out there, you would have died for sure. I don't know what you did to make the stupid boy so smitten with you. If it had been me-"

"Dear."

The nine tails voice was getting steadily angrier, like the whole situation was nothing but a bother to him, but the calm and steady voice of his wife immediately silenced him. He glanced at her; she had finished her meal and was putting a hand on his arm, looking up at him with an expression Tanjiro was struggling to read. She had an air of mystery about her that he found kind of cool…

She then turned her face to Tanjiro and he jolted. "Excuse my husband. As one of the leaders in this village he has a lot on his plate at the moment, and the Yuki Oona has not helped."

"I-it's alright." Tanjiro gave a small nod to her in thanks for calming the man.

"My name is Rengoku Ruka, my husband is Rengoku Shinjuro and we are happy to let you stay within our den until spring comes." Shinjuro grunted and turned his head away. He likely wanted to object but didn't want to go against his wife. A smile pulled at Tanjiros lips. "However," and then it faltered. "It will not be for free."

"I don't have any money, but I promise I'm good with my hands!"

Ruka looked amused. "I didn't expect you to pay for your stay here. I do however appreciate you offering help." She turned to her eldest son who beamed happily under her gaze. "Kyojuro, you will assign work to him alright? Around the town, in the home, whatever it is you need."

"Yes, mother!"

"Tanjiro."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"If you need anything, just ask. You seem like a very kind boy. I expect good things from you."

Tanjiro wasn't sure how to take that, especially when she gave him a small smile with twinkling eyes. It suddenly felt like a small joke was shared between the family members.

Lunch wrapped up quickly after that, Tanjiro helped Senjuro clean up the table and do the dishes, the pair of them sharing a pleasant conversation the whole time.

After that Tanjiro went to find Rengoku for whatever tasks he'd be earning his keep with. He found the fox speaking with his parents in the front entryway. Tanjiro could smell how serious the conversation was and so hid behind the corner, not wanting to interrupt.

"I'll be heading to Urokodaki's estate." Shinjuro said as he pulled a coat over his yukata. "I'll speak with him and his boys about the Yuki Oona on the mountain."

"Will you need me to accompany you?" Rengoku asked, the smile was missing from his face.

"No. There's still too much to repair after the blizzard, and the Winter Festival is just a month away. I need your focus on the town. No distractions." He said the last part with a pointed look around the corner, right at Tanjiro.

The tanuki jolted and slid back into hiding, embarrassed that he had been caught eavesdropping.

"Be safe, dear." Ruka said and after a pause Shinjuro responded in a shockingly soft tone: "I promise."

Shortly after Tanjiro heard the door open and then close Ruka walked past him, she gave him a nod and he bowed back and then Rengoku stopped right in front of him. "Now! Are you ready to get your day started?"

"Yes!" Tanjiro beamed up at him, fists clenched and ready to work. "I'm good with my hands! I worked a lot where I lived so I can repair houses or forage-"

"Hahaha!" Rengoku's loud laughter interrupted the redhead. "I appreciate your eagerness to work, but it is your first day you won't be doing anything like that!"

Tanjiro obviously didn't hide his disappointment because the fox laughed again.

"Senjuro!"

The boy came scuttling from a hallway, a large jar and fishing net in his hands. "Yes, Brother?"

"Why don't you take Tanjiro to help with your chores today? It will be a good introduction before we do any real manual labor tomorrow."

Senjuro puffed his little chest and smiled. "Of course."

"If he has any questions, be sure to answer them. I will be going out."

"You're going into town?" Tanjiro asked curiously.

"Mh!" Rengoku nodded. "I've been gone for nearly a week! I need to make sure everything is alright. I'm sure my list of things to get done before spring has already grown!"

"Well… alright, don't overwork yourself okay?" Tanjiro gave him a small pout, still disappointed he would be staying home the whole day.

"I won't." Rengoku's expression softened, a fond and giddy look flashing through his eyes. In an instant it vanished though, replaced with his usual jovialness. "I shall be back!"

And then it was just the two youngest. Tanjiro patted his cheeks to focus his mind and turned to Senjuro. "So! What kind of chores are we doing?"

"Cleaning!" Senjuro eagerly held up the small net. "Have you ever seen a snow sprite?"

Tanjiro blinked. He had been wondering what that was for…

Back in the village the Kamado's family's main source of income was burning charcoal and selling it. With lots of charcoal came lots of soot, and that attracted soot sprites. They were small dusty bundles of soot that came to life and scuttled around the walls and floors when too much of it built up. They were small at first, but when too many of them grouped together they could cause a real problem. Tanjiro remembered he once had to fight off a living pile of soot almost as large as him, he used a broom to keep it locked in the living room while Nezuko and Takeo quickly had to collect buckets of water to dump on it, weighing it down into a nasty paste for them to clean up later. Their mother had been livid over the blackened state of the living room, but was thankful they were all okay. She says they could really hurt you, or worse, suffocate you, when too large.

Tanjiro assumed snow sprites were the same as soot sprites. So when he walked into one of the large storage rooms of the Rengoku house he was star struck by all the glittery floating balls of white that bounced around aimlessly in the air. Senjuro clapped his hands and a lantern hanging from the ceiling lit up. The reflected off the little cotton balls in the air making lights dance around the room.

"They're so pretty!" Tanjiro gasped and Senjuro had to giggle.

"They sure are. But their pests, they cool the air down around them, being made of snow, and too many of them can cause an issue." The boy quickly slipped his net through the air, catching a few and dumping into his jar and closing the lid. "When there's too many they can freeze houses! I've heard of people almost being frozen to death because they got stuck."

"That sounds awful… Hey Senjuro what's that?" Tanjiro pointed up at the lantern.

"Oh! The lantern is normal, but inside is a flame crystal instead of a fire!"

"Flame crystal?"

"I guess you wouldn't have them down the mountain." Senjuro got onto his tiptoes to grab it and bring it down. As he brought it closer Tanjiro could feel the warmth radiating from it. The front opened and inside was an orange topaz the size of his fist.

"Woah… it's beautiful.'

"Isn't it?" The fox said happily. "Our family makes them and sells them from time to time to others. My father made this one."

"He made it!?"

"Mhm. By taking clear crystals from the mountain and focusing our magic into them we can create these flame crystals, it's a good way to cultivate your magic. Mastering it is how my brother got his second tail, and currently how I'm trying to get mine. I'm not very good at it though."

"That's still amazing. To be honest the village I grew up in doesn't do anything with magic, aside from the animals that naturally have transformation…'' Tanjiro scratched at his chin and glanced away nervously.

"Really?" Senjuro looked genuinely shocked. "How do you stay warm?"

"Lots of insulation, fireplaces and cuddling." The tanuki chuckled and Senjuro joined after a moment.

After that the Lantern was returned to its place and the boy's began their adventure in snow sprite chasing. Senjuro was much better at it than he was, they were a lot faster than soot sprites and had aerial advantage.

Senjuro was able to catch them in his hands, stalking and pouncing on them quickly to grab hold, while Tanjiro fumbled (even with the net) and tripped a few times over boxes.

It was surprisingly fun though once Tanjiro got the hang of it. The two boys jumping all around the room and bouncing off the shelves to catch as many as they could in one fell swoop, they had even started a small contest between them.

It ended quickly though when an especially large one nearly ran off with Senjuro. It flew around the room after the boy had grabbed hold of it and it took off with him in a panic. He was kicking and screaming the entire time as Tanjiro chased after them. It ended rather painfully though for everyone involved, Tanjiro managed to grab hold of Senjuro right before the sprite slammed into the wall, looking like a flattened snowball. Unfortunately this also meant the boys went splat against the wall.

Senjuro managed a panicked warning cry before they both nearly knocked themselves out.

"Please tell me that's all of them..." Tanjiro groaned, rubbing his head. He was thankful it was so hard.

"Y-y-yeah- that's good." Senjuro on the other hand stumbled to his feet and swayed back and forth, eyes spinning.

"Woah careful!"

The rest of their chores were luckily normal. After disposing of the sprites in a warm fire they went about dusting, cleaning and eventually it was time to cook dinner.

"Hey Senjuro?" Tanjiro walked out of the kitchen towards the dining area. The small fox had left to set the table, saying he'd be right back. But when he hadn't returned and the pot on the stove began to boil, Tanjiro went looking for him. "Oh-"

But he paused in the doorway when he saw Ruka sitting at the table. She had a crow sitting on her shoulder as she flipped through several papers.

"Miss Ruka, hello!" Tanjiro quickly bowed when the woman looked up at him.

"Hello Tanjiro." She greeted in return.

"What are you doing..?"

"The mail arrived." She said simply.

A silence fell between them, awkward on Tanjiro's end but the Vixen didn't seem to mind it. She really wasn't one for conversation it seemed…

"Uh… if Senjuro comes back tell him his pot is boiling-" the red head began to turn back to the kitchen.

"Tanjiro."

His body snapped to attention, but he slowly relaxed when he watched her push over a few blank pages and a brush.

"You wanted to write a letter, didn't you?"

He blinked before his posture became full of life. He quickly rushed to the table, sitting beside the woman as he took the supplies and gripped the brush tightly.

Oh god now that he was doing this he wasn't even sure where to start, what to say, who to send it to! Would it be ok to send it directly to his family? Then they might know their location, and they would likely hate the idea of a family of foxes knowing where they lived. Well then again they're going to hate the fact Tanjiro was living with them until spring.

Tanjiro let out a small sigh and started writing his letter. He wrote about what happened, where he was and the situation he was currently in. He begged them not to come looking for him and that he was certain he was going to be okay, for now. He wished everything well for his siblings; that everyone was getting enough good sleep, and that no one should worry too much about him.

"You must love your family very much."

"Hm?" Ruka's voice broke his concentration and he froze when a hand gently laid upon his head.

"You look so serious writing your letter. As if it was your last will."

"Do I?" He gently touched his face, as if that would let him know whatever expression he had been making at the time. The gesture brought a small smile to Ruka's lips.

"Be sure to let them know that if they would like to send a letter back they'll need to use this crow." She gestured to the one on her shoulder. "They're quite intelligent and very hardy."

"Yes ma'am…" Tanjiro was a little speechless. This woman had a certain air about her that… relaxed him. Which was surprising given Rengoku's boundless energy.

He felt a little more relaxed after that and so after he finished his letter (pointedly giving the crow directions to Zenitsu's house) he remained sitting with the woman comfortably. "The Rengoku family seems to be very important here."

"Hmmm." Ruka hummed in thought before her ears twitched towards him and she looked over. "Kyojuro mentioned that you didn't grow up like a fox did."

"I know next to nothing about your home…." She seemed to notice how he avoided anything to do with his origins, but did not pry.

Her ears twitched a couple of times before she gently pulled her blanket tighter around herself. "The Rengoku's have been a pillar of this community for a long time. They were one of the three families that helped start it way back when."

"Really?" Tanjiros tail wagged slightly.

Ruka nodded. "There is us, the Urokodaki's, and the Uzui. The last family I mentioned aren't foxes though."

"Wait- so fox town has more than just foxes?"

Ruka let out a chuckle at what must have been a very dumb question. "I'll have Kyojuro take you into town tomorrow, you can see for yourself."

Ah- he had to admit that it did sound exciting to explore everything he had only glimpsed at before.

"Our family and the Urokodaki's are foxes though. And the head of each of those families has nine tails, Kyojuro won't be able to take over after Shinjuro until he has gained his ninth tail." And he only had three right now. "Aside from the history our families share, we also help run the village. Think of them as the elders who make the decisions and keep everyone safe."

Tanjiro swallowed heavily. To think he was staying in the house of such an important family. That did explain why they were so involved in everything though, he wondered what kind of work he'll be helping Rengoku with tomorrow…

"Tanjiro!!" The red head's tail bushed up when he saw Senjuro bolt across the room and into the kitchen. "The food!"

"Oh no-!" Tanjiro scrambled to his feet and Ruka watched them fumble around with the overboiling pot of stew. She watched them fondly from her place at the table, thinking that Tanjiro very easily would be working himself into this family.

"Tanjiro?"

The tanuki looked up from where he was moving pillows and blankets around in the nest he'd made after dinner (that Tanjiro definitely didn't almost burn), which had gone better than lunch. Rengoku happily chatted about his day with his Father and Ruka was more talkative too. It felt nice.

Tanjiro checked his tail and ears before he turned towards the door. "You can open it!"

The paper door slid open to reveal Rengoku sitting on his knees. "Oh, I see Senjuro gave you nesting material!"

"Yes!" Tanjiro fluffed a pillow for emphasis. "They're very comfortable too, I get a feeling this will be my best sleep yet!" He meant it as a good thing but at the same time he worried he'd sleep for too long.

"I am glad! Certainly beats that fox hole in the forest doesn't it?" The fox chuckled.

"I don't know, your tails were pretty soft." Tanjiro, being the honest and pure boy he was, didn't realize what he had said till it already left his mouth. His head snapped up, a blush already forming as Kyojuro got the most fox-like grin he had seen on the man.

"Do you like them? If you shared my nest you could enjoy them all night long."

"Don't suggest something like that!" His blush intensified. "We barely know each other!"

"We've already shared a nest once!"

"That was a hole in the ground and circumstances were different!"

Rengoku laughed at the poor boy's embarrassment and for a moment Tanjiro debated throwing one of the pillows at him.

"I was only teasing! I would never make you do something you were uncomfortable with." Tanjiro's tail slowly relaxed behind him. "I did, however, wonder if you wanted this?"

Tanjiro watched him bend out of sight to grab something and he came back with a white and orange blanket.

The redhead leaned out of his nest to look closer and his nose picked up on the strong scent of smoke and maple trees. His ears shot up in recognition. "Is this yours?"

"It is!" Rengoku smiled. "I know being here may be a little intimidating, since we spent so much time together already I thought you'd be used to my scent, and wouldn't mind it in your nest for comfort?"

Tanjiro didn't want to admit he was kind of right. As soon as he caught that woodsy smell he was reminded of autumn leaves and felt his body physically relax. It was a reaction he had never had to a scent before, and with his nose, he'd smelled a lot in the world. Part of him, the more rational part it seemed, was telling him to turn it away. That having something of him in his nest had… implications.

But the part Tanjiro hadn't gotten to explore in the past because his priorities were always for his family first was begging him to take it. It wanted him to wrap himself in that blanket tightly and dream of cloud watching on autumn days.

The two sides of his brain were ripping him apart for too long because Rengoku eventually tilted his head in worry. "Is that a no?" The disappointment was subtle in his tone but for some reason it struck a chord in Tanjiro and he took the blanket without thinking.

The vixen side of him was cheering with it's overwhelming victory over the tanuki side.

"I-I'll take it… thank you for thinking about me." Tanjiro gave him a reassuring smile, cheeks flushed bashfully over the whole situation.

Rengoku's eyes slowly widened before he puffed his chest out and smiled brightly, all three tails were wagging in their own directions behind. "I hope you sleep well! Please get as much rest as you need!"

"Thank you, sleep well Rengoku!" The two bid one another goodnight.

Tanjiro returned to the nest and stared at the blanket in his hands. The scent of Rengoku was strong on it and the fabric was incredibly soft, he couldn't help but drag his fingertips over it. "Aaah what am I doing…" he asked himself, now alone. He would have had some internal debate over the blanket but his body already felt heavy, so he just added the cloth amongst the others and settled in for sleep.

He was right, it did feel heavenly with all the pillows and blankets.

#rentan #kyotan #rengoku x tanjiro #fox rengoku #tanuki tanjiro #demon slayer fanfic

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

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FoxTown, Chapter 3

We've made it to fox town! Rengoku introduces Tanjiro to a few other foxes!

Word count: 4200+

All the stories about FoxTown were bedtime stories told to children to stop them from going too far out of the village, let alone up the mountain. And the intensity of those stories just rose as they got older because the elder folk would recount their own experiences with Foxes, further cementing the terrible reputation of the species.

Many of the stories were about the Fox fires and mimicry. How they pretended to be people you knew and led you away to eat you or kidnap you.

And if you were kidnapped you were taken to the infamous FoxTown. A place they say is like a red-light district or back alley market; where carnivores went to have a good time. They had brothels and butcheries lining the streets, people buying and trading parts of other species for magic potions or just for eating. Sometimes captured prey would be kept within cages to sell to the highest bidder, or that you could use one of them in a brothel.

Carnivores would gather from all over to partake in suspicious rituals for their god, they would dance around temples and offerings to Inari (a deity Tanjiro knew very little about)

Some even said that Foxes would fornicate with humans for favors in their realm, and that's why FoxTown was as large as it was, taking almost the entire mountain top, and they had weird contraptions and magic.

And while Tanjiro had gotten to know Rengoku, and saw him as a fox that wouldn't hurt him; as he stood before massive Torii gates that arched over and lined a very old set of stairs leading up the mountain, it was these stories that forced themselves to the forefront of his mind.

Images of massive maws, blood soaked rooms and cutlery hanging from the walls and ceiling flashed through his mind. He almost lost control of his transformation because of the fear that gripped him so tightly.

"My boy?"

A hand came to rest against Tanjiro's back and the tanuki jolted. His head whipped up, eyes wide and panicked and he had no doubt that he resembled prey in the foxes eyes.

But rather than see him as a tasty morsel Rengoku leaned down looking worried.

"Are you alright? You look terrified."

"I-I'm okay-" Tanjiro's face twisted grotesquely at the lie and the blonde suddenly leaned back. Not really sure how to take that Rengoku blinked several times before he just took Tanjiro by the hand.

"It is alright! I know you have never been, but FoxTown is every fox's home! I promise it will feel natural, like you were born here!"

And then he began to tug Tanjiro up the stairs. The poor tanuki couldn't fight back, his legs had entered autopilot mode out of fear. The Torii gates around them looked well taken care of at least, they were a brilliant shade of red, freshly painted by the look of it. (Which was impressive given the storm they just had.) Now that Tanjiro thought about it, the stone steps were also clear of snow.

Every now and again Tanjiro glanced at them and caught statues of foxes in various poses between the pillars. Some were sitting elegantly, others standing on their hind legs or on the front of their paws as if they were landing from a jump.

One statue Tanjiro stared at so long he thought it was real.

And then its head slowly followed them up the stairs and he threw himself at Rengoku with a cry, wrapping his arms tightly around the man's midsection.

"Tanjiro?" Rengoku asked, wide eyed but amused.

"Th-that statue! The statue is-!" Looking back it was now gone, leaving an empty pedestal behind. This did nothing to ease the fear and anxiety coursing through the boy's body.

But Rengoku let out a booming laugh, the sound of it echoing around them off the mountain. It was so different from the laugh he had while a fox.

"That must have been Gyomei! He often guards the entrance to the village, you see! His fur is thin and such a shade of brown and gray that he looks like the statues! He's also quite large."

"H-he isn't following us is he?"

"Most likely!"

"Eh!?" Tanjiro paled as he stared at Rengoku and that got him another laugh.

"You need not worry! Rather than follow us, think of it as an escort. It's his job to make sure unwanted guests don't come too close to our home!"

Tanjiro blinked at that. You mean they had people they didn't want in the town? They had to guard their town at all? That idea seemed so foreign to Tanjiro's mind…

"My boy," Rengoku's voice drew his attention. "You're still hugging me. Not that I mind!" Three tails wagged happily behind the blonde.

Tanjiro blushed a pretty shade of red before he jumped back, arms up. "I'm sorry! I was just surprised by uh…" he glanced back at the empty pedestal.

"Gyomei."

"Yes-! Gyomei…"

They watched one another, Tanjiro feeling exceptionally more awkward than the golden fox obviously did.

"Well then!" Rengoku barked loudly. "Shall we keep going?"

Ah, right… up the stairs… to the village…

Tanjiro gave a begrudging nod as Rengoku started the walk again.

The staircase felt impossibly long and it was right as Tanjiro was beginning to wonder if he would need to sit down for a break when he saw the top. The last Torii gate was the largest and was decorated in papers and ropes that swayed peacefully, wind chimes and bells sung a soft tune as the wind picked them up.

But beyond the gate Tanjiro couldn't see anything. Was the snow on the other side reflecting the sunlight that much? Because all he could see was a blinding white light and as they got closer he had to squint.

"You just have to walk through!" Rengoku reassured him. "After you!"

Tanjiro glanced at him then back to the white space between the two red pillars. Nervously, he extended one hand towards it and immediately pulled it back when he felt some kind of force push against him.

"What is that?"

"A barrier!" Rengoku put a hand to the back of Tanjiro's shoulder. "You have nothing to fear!"

And then he was shoved from behind.

Tanjiro let out a strangled cry as he fell forward. He had the briefest of thoughts; wondering if maybe all of this had been a trap and now he was about to be snatched up and eaten by the foxes on the other side.

He hit the dirt and lay frozen, staring at the ground. His fight or flight was failing him as his muscles bunched up instead, waiting for the feeling of teeth to clamp onto his arms, his legs, to rip him apart.

But nothing came. Rather he heard the sound of Rengoku walking past him- "Welcome to FoxTown!" -and smelled the powerful aroma of spices in the air.

Tanjiro's head slowly lifted so he wasn't staring at the ground anymore and he gapped at what was before him.

There was no bloody pavement or hanging blades. No obvious brothels-

It was a bustling and excited town full of chatter and families. Stalls lined the street before them selling clothing, goods and delicious smelling foods. Colored strips of paper were woven between some of the buildings and birds could be seen resting peacefully on them. Nearby in a field, likely once used as farmland in spring, children could be seen frolicking in the snow; building snowmen and throwing the white powder at one another in excited squeals.

Farther past the marketplace Tanjiro could see multilayered homes along the landscape, where more people were carrying around building supplies or shoveling snow. Likely making repairs to the homes that have been hit the worst by the blizzard.

Tanjiro watched one man dig out a pile and a woman's head popped out. Wide and surprised the two stared at one another before laughing.

Over all it felt warm, jovial and full of life. The kind of place he could see holding a festival everyday.

"Th-this is FoxTown?" Tanjiro's jaw was completely slack.

"Indeed!" Rengoku was watching him with knowing eyes, though Tanjiro was too mesmerized by the sight before him to notice it. "It's a lovely place isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Tanjiro breathed it before even had a thought to do otherwise. It was nothing like how the stories made it out to be.

A hand came into view and when he followed the arm up he was met with Rengoku's giddy smile.

"What?" Tanjiro asked as he took the hand and was effortlessly lifted to his feet. How strong was Rengoku?

"Your reaction was wonderful!" Rengoku beamed.

"W-well I-"

"Kyoojuurrooooo!!"

Tanjiro jumped when a feminine voice sobbed loudly. When he looked over his eyes bulged. Running over was busty pink haired Vixen, with braids flying out behind her, her eyes were full of tears and her arms were outstretched, revealing a bouncy chest, to grab hold of the golden fox at his side. Her green and yellow kimono billowed out around her as she lunged forward-

"Kanroji!"

Tanjiro could hear the heavy impact of the two colliding together in a hug. He swore he felt the hair on his head flutter about.

"You're alive!" The pink haired fox was crying with how relieved she was to see him. She clung to him with a bear hug, that Rengoku looked like he was suffocating from.

Tanjiro took note about how her two tails matched the colors of her hair: pink with green tips.

"Kanroji please!" Rengoku wheezed as he did his best to return the hug, eventually he was rapidly patting her back to be released. "I am tired!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The woman swiftly let go and took a step back. "I'm so glad you're okay though, we've all been worried sick. Your poor brother thought you died!"

"Ah, yes I'm sure I'm due for a long scolding." The man laughed.

"I'll let everyone know your back!" Kanroji moved to turn around and rush off. But she froze mid spin, one leg up and arms positioned to run, when she spotted Tanjiro. "Oh!"

The boy jolted when the woman was snatching up his hands, squeezing them, and leaning into his space.

"What a cute looking Vixen!" She practically sang. "I don't recognize you!"

"V-vixen?" Tanjiro questioned dubiously.

"I found him outside!" Rengoku said. "He wasn't born in FoxTown, so I had to bring him."

"He wasn't!?" Kanroji looked shocked, her head flipping between the pair of them before settling back on Tanjiro. "My name is Kanroji Mitsuri! I'm a friend of Kyojuros! It's a pleasure to meet you!" She then began shaking his hands vigorously, to which Tanjiro went along with not knowing what else to do.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kanroji!"

"Mitsuri is just fine!"

"I'm Kamado Tanjiro!"

"Tanjiro!" She hopped excitedly into the air. "It's a pleasure to meet you! You're going to love FoxTown!" Her twin tails were wagging intensely behind her.

"Th-thank you!" Tanjiro blinked widely at how happy and energetic this fox was.

"Oh I have to tell everyone about you too! They'll want to throw a party!"

"Eh!?"

"After we've rested, Kanroji!" Rengoku insisted. "I also have important news for Father."

"Of course, of course!" Mitsuri released Tanjiro and he stared at his hands, it felt like they were vibrating with how strong her grip had been. "Are you taking Tanjiro to your estate?"

"Of course!"

"What?" Tanjiro looked up at them.

"Aahh how exciting!" Mitsuri hopped again, squealing in delight. "I'm so excited for you!"

"What, Rengoku-!" Tanjiro quickly interrupted them. "I can't possibly stay with you, I've already inconvenienced you enough!"

"You are far from an inconvenience!" The fox laughed. "Besides, where else will you stay?"

"Th-there must be an inn somewhere right?"

"Hmm, that is a thought!" Rengoku held his chin in thought. "If you're alright with being surrounded by strangers like that!"

Tanjiro's tail slowly bristled, his tone had an underlying message; 'fox strangers'.

The boy balled his fists up, struggling because he wanted to fight back but Rengoku had a point. He would much rather be around others he knew a little bit rather than utter strangers.

Strangers that could bite his throat out.

"A-alright… thank you for having me…"

"It's official!" Mitsuri clapped her hands, she gave Rengoku one last eager smile, which he returned, before she was running off. "I'll see you later Kyojuro!"

Rengoku waved goodbye then turned to Tanjiro. "Now, shall we head home?"

Tanjiro swallowed a lump in his throat before nodding. "Please lead the way."

As a tanuki, Tanjiro lived in a burrow. His family lived in a nice little hillside, with a door and just a few windows indicating anything was going on under that bump of land. Inside looked more like a cozy home and it was always a fun surprise to see the reactions of those who lived above ground when they first went inside.

As far as Tanjiro was aware Foxes were similar, their homes were primarily underground but they called them 'dens' rather than 'burrows'. And he got to see quite a few of them as they walked through town. Rengoku had completely bypassed the main market area of the village and moved right into the residential area. It was like someone had taken the front of a house and put it right up against a hillside. Trees and bushes grew around the building to look decorative but the entire front was just that- a building! Inside likely led into more of the interior for the home.

They looked lovely. Tanjiro had to pause and admire one of their homes when the owners stopped Rengoku to greet him. He stared in wonder at the small entryway and lanterns that hung by the wooden door. It was very traditional, he also took note of the little fox statue right at the end of what he guessed was their front garden. It was small and had red paint on it. Looking around, many of the other homes had one or two decorating their yards. Perhaps it was a guardian statue?

"Tanjiro!" Rengoku called to him and the tanuki realized the home owners were giggling at his curiosity of their den. He flushed darky before quickly joining his companion back up the road.

Those dens had been small and quite frankly, cute. Staring up at Rengoku's home however Tanjiro would not have described it as cute. It was larger, grander and even more traditional than the others. It was a castle built right into the side of the mountain and when Tanjiro turned around he was overlooking almost all the village. A cold wind picked up and tousled around Tanjiro's hair and clothing, the whole atmosphere felt like he was in a story book with the view he was being given.

"What do you think?" Rengoku asked, beaming at him expectantly.

"It's nice. Uh, Large…" he turned and gave Rengoku a small smile and that seemed to be exactly what the blonde had been looking for, if his wagging tails were anything to go off of.

"Good! My home is your home now, I want you to be comfortable!"

"Hey, wait-!" Tanjiro wasn't able to object as Rengoku strode right through the gates and up to the door.

The tanuki was close behind as they entered and Rengoku gave a booming "I am home!!"

At first there was silence, that Tanjiro found unnerving, and then there was the sound of something scrambling in another room, a thud, some cursing and then rapid footsteps that got louder until-

A bundle of clothing came flying into the hallway and Tanjiro jumped, grabbing hold of his own tail. There were annoying whimpers before the pile of laundry was thrown onto the floor and suddenly Tanjiro was staring at a miniature Rengoku.

His eyes were the same. His hair was the same (except it was in a full ponytail), his ears and single tail, even his EYEBROWS were the same!! It was like someone had cloned the man!

"Brother!!" The boy looked like a mess. His face was twisting with emotion like he couldn't decide to be angry, sad or relieved to see the older fox.

"Senjuro!" Rengoku's expression softened considerably at the sight of him and he held his arms out to welcome him into a hug.

At first the boy looked defiant, but then fat tears built up and he was throwing himself into the warm arms of his brother, sobbing.

"Sorry I worried you." Rengoku gently pet the boy's head as he spoke softly.

"Don't you ever do that again." Senjuro whimpered into his clothing.

Tanjiro felt relaxed by the interaction, it reminded him of his own family. His heart began to ache at the memories that flooded his mind and he felt his ears droop.

"About time you got back. Who is that?"

Tanjiro's attention was thankfully drawn away from his own thoughts and he once again had to do a double take. He was much scruffier, but this must have been their father. He was another carbon copy of the two Rengoku next to him but he was much more.. intimidating…

In a red and black Yukata, with a black Haori thrown around his shoulders he approached the three of them. Nine tails swayed behind him.

"Father." Rengoku gave him a bow once Senjuro released him.

"Who is this?" The man grunted again, standing in front of him Tanjiro realized just how large this fox was. So much larger than Rengoku… His gaze was piercing and Tanjiro could feel power radiating off of him, it filled him with the urge to lay down and give up.

"Kamado Tanjiro!" Rengoku said eagerly, he watched his father expectantly. "I found him out in the blizzard and have brought him home!"

The man's expression darkened a little before he leaned forward and it took everything in Tanjiro not to let his knees buckle.

The nine tailed fox sniffed at one side of Tanjiro's head, then the other.

Tanjiro blinked and quickly patted his cheeks in confusion after he pulled away.

The man looked him up and down, then his hand came out of his sleeve to grab hold of one of the earrings dangling from Tanjiros ears. The tanuki worried for a moment if they could see through his transformation, he had been holding it for a while and was beginning to tire.

The oldest Rengoku looked confused before he turned his head to his son, who only flicked his ears at him. Whatever silent conversation they had through that subtle movement was enough to satisfy something because the man released the earring and stepped back. "Kyojuro, come."

Rengoku looked over the moon. "Yes sir!"

"What just happened?" Tanjiro asked once he got over his stunned silence.

"You may stay!" The fox cheered happily. "For now at least."

"For now?" Tanjiro glanced at Senjuro, who seemed to be the only one looking concerned for their sudden arrival.

"Now then!" Rengoku drew both boys' attention before anyone could address Tanjiros concern.

There was a pause. Everyone was staring at each other as they waited.

"Rengo-?"

And then their clothing immediately melted away into water.

"AH!" Tanjiro went slack jawed.

"I'm exhausted!" The fox declared.

"Brother!" Senjuro's voice cracked as both males were suddenly naked. He scrambled back to the laundry he had abandoned and found sheets large enough to wrap them in.

"Tanjiro, please make yourself comfortable! Senjuro please lead him to a room, I need to meet with Father." Rengoku, wrapped in a white sheet, was already hurrying away.

"Brother-" Senjuro called to him but he was a fox on a mission. "Make sure you rest!"

"Mhm!"

And then the two boys were left alone. They stood there quietly for a moment before Senjuro gave him a small smile. "It's nice to meet you by the way, my name is Senjuro."

"Tanjiro." The two bowed to one another.

"So… right this way!" Senjuro gestured for him to follow. "I'll get you some fresh clothing."

Tanjiro followed after the boy and he found himself getting attached already, he was small -a kit Tanjiro thinks they're called?- and had such a gentle atmosphere about him. It reminded Tanjiro of Nezuko. He noticed that Senjuro also smelled like smoke, but there was a hint of spices to it too. In Fact the whole den smelled smokey, if Tanjiro didn't know better he would have guessed they just put a fire out.

"So…" he watched Senjuro's ears flick back when he spoke. "Is it really okay for me to stay here...?"

"Well, father didn't immediately throw you out, so that's a good thing." The blonde boy looked over his shoulder at him. "I'm sure it will be discussed in further detail later though after everyone has rested. These last few days must have been very tiring for you!"

"They sure have…" Tanjiro couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. Tiring was a bit of an understatement; his transformation had been straining him because of how much he'd been using it and now that everything was settled and he had a moment to relax, he could feel the urge to hibernate creeping back into his bones. His feet were shuffling and his eyes were feeling heavy.

"You can have this room." Senjuro slid a paper door over and stepped aside for Tanjiro to enter. The room was the same size as his living room back home; it was fairly empty though aside from furniture and small decorations. As he walked in and looked around he noticed how the ground dipped slightly and he saw the center of the floor had a small concave to it.

"What's this?" Tanjiro asked as he turned to the small fox.

"Hm?" Senjuro looked surprised. "It's a nesting bowl. For your nest!"

A silence hung in the air and it very quickly got awkward.

"Uh-" Senjuro's smile got nervous. "Do you not like it? Foxes tend to like the little space for their nest, do you need some pillows and cloth, would that make it better?"

"No no, that's alright!" Tanjiro waved his hands, quick to ease the boy. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Does your den back in the forest not have one?"

"No." Tanjiro turned to look at the dip again. His nest back home was just a shared one between him and all his siblings, as they did not have the space for private ones. But it wasn't a dip in the ground full of nesting material, it was just several large pillows stacked in a circle to create the nest and then filled with whatever was comfortable. "I just stack pillows and blankets in a circle."

"Oh! Well I hope you enjoy it while you stay here." Senjuro turned towards the door. Why don't you relax while I go and get you some proper clothing, I can also grab you some spare pillows and blankets!"

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that Senjuro!"

The young fox bowed before he left and slid the paper door shut. Tanjiro listened to the sounds of his retreating footsteps before he was left alone with his own thoughts.

"Ah… how did this happen…" he let his body collapse right into the nesting area. He could already imagine how heavenly it would feel filled with clothing and pillows and the idea of having his own nest to himself made a part of Tanjiro purr happily. The other part was worried sick about his family. If he couldn't go home immediately then he'd have to find a way to send them a message and let them know he was okay- alive at least! Maybe he'd ask Senjuro about sending a letter before his father decides he isn't welcome here anymore, which in his mind felt like any moment.

A horrible thought suddenly crossed his mind; what if they came looking for him? He'd been missing what, four- five days now? His family certainly wouldn't be sitting back just waiting for him to come home. He could easily picture Nezuko leading a charge up the mountain because she assumed some animal had captured him. God forbid if they got that wild child Inosuke involved. Tanjiro would probably hear him before he saw him, and he'd probably meet Gyomei…

Tanjiro let out a loud groan as his hands came up to cover his eyes. The feeling of letting them close was heavenly and he knew if he stayed like this for too long he'd certainly fall asleep, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to wake up again. His younger siblings had likely already started their hibernation, and it made him feel worse knowing Nezuko and his mother would put off their own because of how worried they were for him.

His arms fell down at his sides, but his eyes remained closed. "This isn't good…" he muttered tiredly.

Everything had escalated so quickly…

…………..

……..

…

"Tanjiro?" Senjuro called from behind the closed door. When he didn't get a response he opened it up just enough to peek inside. A smile pulled at his lips as he saw the other boy curled up, asleep and completely wrapped up in the blanket he'd gotten before.

"I'll just leave these here." Senjuro said softly as he left clothing and a few pillows and blankets neatly folded and stacked inside right by the door. "Sleep well Tanjiro." He said before closing the door softly.

#rentan #kyotan #konpon #fox rengoku #rengoku x tanjiro #tanuki tanjiro #demon slayer fanfic

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

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Header image I made for one of my fics

(〃ー〃)

The fic itself has 4 chapters rn, but I'm a little insane and waiting for more to be done before i try sharing it

God help me-

#rentan #kyotan #rengoku x tanjiro #fox rengoku #fox rengoku is my fav #sorry not sorry

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

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MERMEN!!!

merman Kyojuro and merman Tanjiro!!!

Kyojuro always looks for good food and tan is always following the handsome fire merman!!

mermen rentan!!!

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

Text

Under the mistletoe 😳❄️🔪

Holiday commission

art by @lupinchopang27

~ close-ups below!

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

Text

art by @lupinsuniverse !

commissioned last winter! look at all the details :3

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

Text

FoxTown, Chapter Two

Tanjiro is stuck in the Blizzard with an odd fox

Word count: 5,100

The first thing Tanjiro noticed as his eyes fluttered open was how he was curled up into a ball. The last thing he remembered was slipping off the edge of a cliff and plummeting to what he had assumed was his death.

The second thing he realized, following that thought, was how comfortably warm he was.

He blinked the sleep away and slowly lifted his head to look around, it was a burrow of some kind. He could smell the wet dirt and tree roots, signs of being underground. Above him, over a lip in the ground he could hear the heavy winds howling and every now again catch bits of snow that fell in from the blizzard.

Ah so he hadn't made it home… but hadn't died either so where was he?

Tanjiro felt movement all around him and, with panic, realized something was nuzzling itself right into his stomach. His head snapped down and he not only realized he was not in his fox form anymore, but his Racoon dog, but another fox was wrapped completely around him. It was huge in relation to him and had fur so thick Tanjiro watched his paws vanish right into what he thought was its stomach. It was beautiful to say the least, rather than orange its fur was a lovely shade of yellow and the darker part of its paws, ears and tails were more of a crimson than a dark brown.

That was another thing:

Shocking him even more than the golden cloud wrapping itself around him was the three tails it was using as a pillow for itself. And Tanjiro realized he too had been using those glorious soft appendages to rest his head.

Suddenly everything felt too intimate, this fox was wrapped protectively around him and it kept him wonderfully warm- but he had no idea who this was or even if it was a person! Why hadn't it tried to eat him?

Did it save him?!

The one thing that kept him from going into a full panic was the scent wafting off the fox. He smelled like smokey maple leaves, like a campfire fire of said leaves that someone had just put out (he was a male by the smell of him too). It was oddly calming.

Once the initial panic was gone, Tanjiro really stared at this creature. He was beautiful, his eyes were closed and his breathing would blow around the soft fur of one of his tails. He had whiskers on his muzzle and it took everything in Tanjiro not to bat at them. His coat, while exceptionally thick, was glossy and well kept, obviously a fox that cared about his appearance. And it was incredibly soft.

He kind of wanted to feel it again.

Tanjiro adjusted himself and slowly lowered his head down to gently lay his jaw on the foxes side. He moved, making Tanjiro panic again, his fur ruffling in a wave as he felt himself shift back into the fox-like form out of fear of being caught. He watched a golden head lift itself up and its maw opened as he let out a long and heavy yawn. Giving Tanjiro the chance to see all of his sharp teeth: clean, well kept and perfectly capable of ripping things apart.

Then he opened his eyes and Tanjiro swore he stole his breath away. Heavy lidded and cloudy with sleep the fox looked at him with gold and red eyes. Even when half awake and darkened by their stormy surroundings they glittered like a fire was behind them. Foxes really weren't what everyone had made them out to be.

Something inside Tanjiro fluttered as they stared at one another quietly.

And then whatever mood they had was broken as the fox, in an instant, went from bleary eyed and barely aware; to alert, wide eyed and puffed up.

"Hello!"

And loud. So very loud.

"H-hello!?" Tanjiro mimicked his volume out of confusion more than anything.

Giving a response at all seemed to make the other fox happy though as he felt one of the tails wiggle. Tanjiro assumed he was resisting a full wag.

"Are you alright?" The fox asked, suddenly leaning forward to sniff at Tanjiro. If he was human the tanuki would have flushed darkly. "You took quite the fall!"

"F-fall?" Right, the cliff, he fell off a cliff. But something was alarming Tanjiro. "You were watching me!?"

"I was!" The fox sounded completely unashamed! "I saw you come into the woods, which I thought was strange because of the oncoming storm! So I followed you!"

Ah- so then that scent he was picking up the entire time belonged to him. Tanjiro did feel a little relieved, it could have been so much worse.

"So you… saved me?" He asked curiously.

"In a way!"

"What does that mean?"

The fox seemed to smile at him. "You hit the ground, I couldn't catch you or anything. But you seem to have a very hard head because you didn't die! How lucky! I took a safer route down and found you, then dragged here into this burrow to wait out the storm with you!"

Tanjiro blinked a couple of times as he mentally chewed on the words. He really wouldn't be making it back home anytime soon… the other thing he realized though was he had greatly inconvenienced this stranger.

"P-please forgive me!" He suddenly blurted.

"What for?"

"You're stuck here with me now instead of your own home! If I hadn't gone out to hunt at such a foolish time then you wouldn't have noticed and waited with me…"

Red and gold eyes blinked a few times before the fox laughed, a real fox laugh; it was loud and a little more high pitched than his voice. It was almost like he was giggling. Regardless, it brought back that fluttery feeling in the tanuki's chest.

"You are very kind, my boy!"

Oh the nickname intensified his emotions way too much.

"I like that!"

It's getting worse-

"But I do not mind! We are alive and that's the important thing, waiting in a storm is not a problem for me! I do hope you are comfortable though. I grew an especially nice winter coat this year so I hope it kept you warm as well!"

And now Tanjuro was burying his snout into that warm fluffy coat, completely embarrassed and maybe a little smitten over the genuine personality this fox seemed to have. He really was nothing like all the stories Tanjiro has heard over the years. The foxes his elders described would have probably eaten him in this hole while he was still unconscious. But this golden furred male had only been concerned with keeping him warm and out of the snow, even waiting it out with him.

His heart could burst from his chest from how intensely it was pounding. Is this what a crush felt like, wasn't he too old to develop something like that so quickly!?

"Are you alright my boy?" The fox's voice was thick with concern as he watched Tanjiro with wide eyes.

"Tanjiro."

"I beg your pardon?"

The tanuki's head shot up, cheeks puffed comically, well as best as his muzzle could.

"My name is Kamado Tanjiro! It's nice to meet you, if we're going to be stuck here for a while we might as well get to know one another."

Another wide eyed stare, smile in place and then he was giving that excited fox giggle again. "Rengoku Kyojuro!"

Now that Tanjiro had a name to the face it became a little easier to talk to him, especially since the two would be snuggling together for warmth in their little fox hole for quite a while.

A long….

Long while.

At first it was fine, Tanjiro had no problem spending time with Rengoku. In fact it was nice! They mostly chatted back and forth in between bits of napping or dosing.

Tanjiro learned that Kyojuro was the eldest son of two, the younger brother being named Senjuro.

"My mother only had one kit per litter, she's quite fragile you see, so it was a blessing in disguise. You might actually like her, she's a cross fox like you! But she's silver rather than red…"

His father was also an important figure in FoxTown, having nine tails! Tanjiro asked him if it was possible for Rengoku to grow that mainy tails too and he got another laugh, something Tanjiro was quickly getting addicted to.

"Well of course! All foxes are capable of growing more tails! It comes with power, the stronger you get, the more tails you have!" And this fox had three!

Rengoku tilted his head. "Did you not know that?"

Tanjiro froze up for a moment, his tail that had been wagging along with their pleasant conversation bushed up and froze in an upright position.

"O-oh well uh… no…"

"Really?" The fox looked genuinely surprised.

"I, uh, grew up different." Luckily it wasn't a lie, compared to a fox he really did have a different upbringing.

Rengoku waited to see if he would expand upon his statement, but when he didn't he gave a simple and curt: "I see!"

There was some awkward silence before

Tanjiro asked him more about his family and Rengoku seemed happy to talk about them. As he rambled Tanjiro wondered if he should even try talking about his own. Would Rengoku eat him or be less friendly if he learned Tanjiro wasn't actually a fox? He didn't like either of those ideas.

What he was comfortable talking about was his earrings and how they were an important gift to him. He also talked about simple mundane things; like how his favorite food was rice balls, and how he enjoyed sun bathing. He brought up the hardness of his head again when Rengoku asked if it hurt at all from his fall.

"It feels fine, really! I hit others with it all the time!" And he quickly had to clarify that when Rengoku looked alarmed.

Eventually Tanjiro's eyes slid closed, the cold air and likely nightfall was dragging him into a dazed state. When Rengoku noticed he readjusted them slightly so the pair of them were once again comfortably wrapped around one another, each of their heads resting on the other's tail(s). Tanjiro, whether he realized it or not, took a deep inhale of that pleasant smoky scent as he drifted away into a dream.

As the blizzard went on day three though the pair of them were starting to get concerned, not only were they both hungry but Tanjiro was struggling more to stay awake. In this dark and cramped space his instincts were trying to drag him down in hibernation, something he could not let happen. Not just because he wouldn't be able to maintain his fox facade but because he would likely die like that. He hadn't properly fattened himself up to take such a long sleep, he couldn't take the risk.

But staying awake was getting harder and harder. And when he did take short naps Rengoku was struggling to wake him up at times, at one point having to nip the tanuki's ear to get him to awaken. Maybe it was a stroke of luck that Rengoku just assumed Tanjiro was sick, though he couldn't deny the guilt he felt.

Currently the younger of the two was curled up at the back of their makeshift burrow and the older was stretched up to peek out the entrance and watch the storm. He was very quiet and although Tanjiro couldn't see his face he could tell how serious he was because of how his scent had changed.

"I am going to go outside."

Tanjiro's eyes snapped open at the sudden declaration. "What?!"

"The storm appears to be lightening up, and we cannot wait any longer for food." He turned his head to look at his sleepy companion. "You especially, I worry for your health."

"I appreciate your concern Rengoku but what about you, you couldn't see two feet in front of your nose!" Tanjiro tried to get up but the cramped space combined with his weak legs just kind of had him flopping around. He didn't complain though when the fox came over to nuzzle him back into a more comfortable position.

"I will be alright, my boy. I have done this before!" He looked like he wanted to tell a story but held it in. "We need to eat, it would be a shame for you to have survived your fall just to die of hunger!"

Tanjiros expression remained in his determined pout. And the fox let out a soft throaty chuckle.

"Truly, I appreciate you caring about me!" He leaned down and rubbed his cheek against Tanjiro's, rubbing his scent into his fur and the other calmed down. The red and black fur of his back slowly laid flat as he laid his head back down. "But we need the food… I promise I am strong, I have three tails after all!"

Unfortunately that did little to ease Tanjiro's mind as he knew next to nothing about fox… anything. He did nothing but let out a soft whine as Rengoku slipped out of the fox hole quickly, his red and yellow coat vanished almost instantly in the blizzard.

The redhead managed to stay awake just a little longer before sleep once again claimed him.

Tanjiro had no idea how long he had been asleep for. He had faded in and out a few times, waking briefly when he thought he heard the sound of Rengoku returning but when he didn't see the gold and red fur through his fuzzy vision he would slip back into unconsciousness.

He dreamed of his family, they were all huddled together by the fire, their mother holding them close as she did her best to wrap her fluffy tail around the smaller pups. He saw Rokuta's mouth move but he couldn't hear anything over the deafening roar of the snow storm outside. Tanjiro wanted to move closer but he was froze in place when he saw the frightened and gloomy looks his family held. He wasn't there with them-

Not only were they probably terrified of the blizzard but one of their own family members hadn't come home. And if Zenitsu had done his job and told Nezuko where he had been going…

Only terrible thoughts must have been plaguing their minds.

"Mother-" Tanjiro tried to reach for them, no matter how far he moved and stepped closer though his family only got farther and farther away. "Mother- mother-! Nezuko!"

Something warm suddenly swiped across his eyes and he jolted, head lifting and swaying from his half awake state. There was a pause as he tried to get his bearings on reality, and then he felt it again; something warm and wet was rubbing at his eyes and cheeks.

He felt himself bristle and jump up as his eyes snapped open in alarm.

In front of him was Rengoku, his coat was covered in a fine powder and he was staring at Tanjiro with wide eyes. His ears were flat against his head, a sign of worry in Tanjiro's eyes, but what the tanuki noticed above all else was the little pink tongue sticking out of his mouth.

"Were you grooming me?" Tanjiro asked dumbly.

"You were crying!" Rengoku told him after his tongue swiped over his lips. Tanjiro did not miss the flecks of blood on his muzzle. "Were you having a nightmare?"

"Uh… yeah." One of Tanjiro's paws quickly swiped over his face.

"Was it about your family?"

Red eyes glanced into glowing gold/red as Tanjiro said nothing.

"I'm sure they're alright!" Rengoku didn't falter though, he even looked chipper despite having spent who knows how much time in the blizzard. "And you will be returned to them quickly!"

His words were meant to reassure Tanjiro but the dream had left him with more guilt and stress than he would have liked. So it didn't do much.

"Anyway-" the fox turned around and then a moment later a fat mouse was dropped right onto Tanjiro's paws.

"WOAH-" The tanuki flailed and slapped the dead creature away so intensely it bounced right back at Rengoku, who caught it in his mouth.

Tanjuro must have looked like a cotton ball with how puffed up all of his fur was, he breathed heavily from the sudden adrenaline and had pressed himself against the wall. Normally Tanjiro just ate fish, saving the other morsels for his growing siblings, mice were different though. He had long since decided to never eat mice after befriending Zenitsu, sometimes all he could see was the blonde boy now when he watched the small critters scamper about in the brush. So having a dead one suddenly dropped into his paws was jarring.

Rengoku clearly didn't seem to understand the issue because the only reaction Tanjiro got out of him was a confused head tilt, his big fluffy ears flopping to one side adorably.

"I-I dont eat mice."

"Mph!" A look of understanding crossed the foxes face and he put his fresh kill down. "That is unfortunate! This is all I could find!"

Tanjiro's stomach dropped, both from dread and hunger. "Oh…"

"I am sorry, my boy," Rengoku looked sympathetic, even as one of his paws lightly bated the mouse around like a toy. "There are no fruits in this season, and mice are the easiest to find in the snow! So…" his voice trailed away as he stopped playing and slowly pushed the morsel towards the Tanuki.

Tanjiro swallowed. "Was there really nothing else…" he could already feel the spirit of Zenitsu giving him a hard time over his shoulder.

"Nothing at all!"

How was it that Rengoku could make anything sound exciting?

Tanjiro let out a small whine, making Rengoku's ears twitch, before he slowly leaned down towards the creature.

He sniffed at it a few times, glanced up at his companion who looked a little too excited to see him eat it, and finally decided to just get it over with. Zenitsu didn't have to know.

It was the most delicious thing Tanjiro had eaten all week and the full belly immediately fueled his drowsiness again. Rengoku must have sensed the oncoming sleeping spell because he made quick work of cleaning himself up and then wrapped his fluffy body around the smaller tanuki again, settling them both in.

"You don't have to keep doing that." Tanjiro said through a yawn. "It's a little weird to be snuggling like this." His actions betrayed his words though because he was getting himself comfortable against the larger and warmer fox's side.

"I disagree!" Rengoku said cheerily while he watched him. "I think it's good practice."

"Practice..?" Tanjiro was struggling to keep his eyes open, as every second passed his thoughts got more muddled.

"Mh!" He felt Rengoku's side hum with the noise. "For when I bring you home!"

Tanjiro didn't catch that last part, sleep having already claimed him.

That morning the storm had finally stopped. Two fox heads burst from a snow covered hillside, their heads shaking off the extra powder and looking around curiously to make sure all was clear before they quickly scrambled out into the open air.

"Ah finally!" Tanjiro frolicked in the snow for a moment, his little fox body bouncing around excitedly before rolling a few times- shifting half way into a human and laying out like a starfish in the snow. "My legs needed this stretch!" He stretched this way and that, not even caring for the cold bite on his skin. Never had he been in any other form for so long, it had left his joints feeling stiff and he was more than happy to twist this way and that in a languid stretch. "Feels sooo gooooood~" he was practically purring.

Suddenly a loud and boisterous laugh went off above him and Tanjiro sat up as a body landed right next to him in the snow. "Yes, this does feel quite nice after being stuffed up in that hole for four days!"

Tanjiro looked over and froze. He had suspected Rengoku also had a human form, and sometimes during their down time from chatting he would try to picture it (he was way too embarrassed to outright ask.)

But nothing in his imagination had quite prepared him for the real thing. He had always imagined someone on the thinner side, and well… foxish.

This man was more like a lion.

Rengoku's hair was a perfect match to the golden fur he'd had before but it stuck up and cascaded down his back like a mane. His eyes were the exact same, wide and alert, and he was huge, muscular. His three tails twirled lazily behind him while he nakedly lounged in the snow right next to Tanjiro with a smile on that stupidly handsome face.

"YOUR NAKED!" Tanjiro quickly covered his eyes as he rolled over, ears back and tail fluffed up to its max.

He heard Rengoku laugh loudly behind him. "So are you, my boy!" And then Tanjiro felt a claw lightly draw a line all the way up his back, from the base of his tail to the back of his neck.

He screamed, sending all the birds that had come out to explore fearfully into the air.

Tanjiro put great distance between him and Rengoku. He clutched his tail and breathed heavily with a blush so intense it made his face look like a tomato.

Rengoku meanwhile had moved into a cross legged sitting position, he had his arms crossed over his chest as it heaved with loud open mouthed laughter. "Did you not realize!? And here I thought you were being a tempting Vixen~"

"I wasn't tempting anyone!" Tanjiro shot back at him. "Aren't you cold!?"

"Not at all! I run very warm naturally, my family is special that way!" To prove his point Rengoku lunged, earning a new sound out of Tanjiro but it quickly died down as he felt the warmth radiating from the other man's body. It genuinely shocked him to the point he was putting his palms right against the blonde's chest.

"How are you so warm!?"

Rengoku's smile somehow widened as he puffed his chest, proud at how he had impressed the boy. "My family is related to Inari Foxes! Not only are we incredibly warm but we can also hold our Alcohol better than any other! It is also why our hair is the way that it is." One of his hands came up to tug at the red and yellow strands that framed his face.

"Th-thats…" Tanjiro was wide eyed. He had never done anything special in his life, he was just a common tanuki, and yet here he was casually spending time with the descendant of a fox that served a god!

"Can you conjure clothing?" Rengoku asked suddenly, breaking the boy from his bewildered thoughts.

"What- uh-" what did that mean, just make clothing from thin air? Could fox's do that?! As a tanuki he could shift his physical form but as far as he knew that didn't apply to clothing-!

"I thought so." Rengoku stood up, taking Tanjiro with him and planting the boy on his feet. "Give me just a moment."

Tanjiro watched the man bend down and grab fistfuls of snow, forming a large mound before he grabbed it and yanked what looked like a Yukata out of the ground.

Tanjiro gaped wide eyed as he did this several times, making Hakama pants and Haori in lavish red, yellow and white patterns.

"Here you are!" The fox smiled widely as he offered the new and fresh bundle of clothing to him.

"How did you do that?" Tanjiro's arms felt like they were on autopilot as he took them, all his attention was on that bright smiling face as it tilted to the side.

"I made them. They're Just temporary though!" Rengoku wrapped his own clothing around himself and tied off the sash to keep his pants up. He adjusted his collar as he spoke. "As long as I focus on my breathing they should hold up till we get back!"

Tanjiro stopped as he tied his own sash. "Back? Back where?"

Rengoku turned to him. "To FoxTown!"

The boy went pale. He couldn't go to FoxTown, he had to get home! It's been four days already and his family had to be worried sick about him!

"I-I don't live in FoxTown!" He blurted suddenly.

Rengoku's thick eyebrows went up, the only indication of his surprise. "Is that so? Where do you live then, I shall escort you home!"

"No that's okay I'm sure I can find the way-"

"I doubt that!" Rengoku's smile never left his face as he crossed his arms. "The snow will have covered all the paths and tracks! Plus it will be dangerous! It is best I guide you!"

Tanjiro let out a low whine. He didn't want this fox following him all the way back to his family burrow, sure he had been wonderful company during the blizzard but everyone in town would run screaming if they saw him coming.

"J-just down the mountain." Tanjiro insisted.

"You don't live on the mountain?" Rengoku looked more surprised, but his smile never faltered.

"I told you, I'm different."

"Very much so."

The two stared at one another before Tanjiro stepped aside and made a small gesture for him to lead the way.

Rengoku's tails flicked around for a brief moment, as if he was thinking, before they settled against his back and he began his walk, long legs leaving a ditch in the snow for Tanjiro to follow in.

He wasn't wrong about the snow covering up everything. Tanjiro had no idea where he was because every direction he turned in it was all white; white ground, white trees, white sky even as clouds still lingered heavily in the air from the storm.

He had no idea which way he should be going, it was hard enough to see the slope of the mountain with everything being the same shade of white.

And twice Tanjiro almost tripped over himself because of a hidden root or large rock within the snow.

Luckily Rengoku seemed patient with him even as he ran into his back each time. He must not have minded because his tails happily curled around Tanjiro, like he was hugging him and the soft caresses brought small laughter from within his chest.

He actually had reached out to grab hold of one as they walked, petting the soft fur and studying its colors as he was led through the woods. He was glad Rengoku didn't seem to mind.

"Oh dear."

"Hmf?" Tanjiro, too engrossed in the fluffy fur within his hands, didn't realize Rengoku had completely stopped walking and once again bumped into him. "Ah sorry- what is it?"

Rengoku didn't need to answer his question. As Tanjiro leaned around the fox's larger frame his mouth fell open as he saw what had stopped them.

"This isn't good at all." Rengoku's smile has dropped away now.

Before them was a massive wall of rubble, whole fallen trees, compacted snow and ice. Some of which took on the shape of spears as they stuck up in several directions.

"Wh-what is this!?" Tanjiro didn't remember seeing this on his way up the mountain! His head whipped from side to side, as far as the eye could see all Tanjiro was greeted with was the same wall. "Was there an avalanche?"

Rengoku didn't say anything at first, he approached the wall and reached out to grab hold of one of the spears, as thick as his arm, and in one swift motion broke it off and looked it over.

"No, these are not made naturally." The man tilted the object in his hand before his eyebrows furrowed and he melted it away, palms glowing brightly from the heat.

"What is it…?" Tanjiro asked nervously.

There was no response and Tanjiro felt fear rise up to grip his chest. Just when he thought it would kill him, Rengoku spun around, expression normal again. "A Yuki Oona has likely moved into the area!"

"Yuki Oona?" Tanjiro hadn't heard of that before.

"A snow woman! They eat anything that is alive, sucking out your soul and such."

The way Rengoku said all of that with a smile chilled Tanjiro more than the snow around him.

"So then…?"

"We turn around!"

"What!?" Tanjiro's tail bushed out in alarm. "But I have to go home!"

"It will have to wait!" Rengoku held up a finger to halt Tanjiro from objecting again. The tanuki also took this moment to realize how sharp Rengoku's claws were. "This is very bad, I am not strong enough to fight off another spirit right now. I am at my limit with just our clothing because of the time spent in that blizzard." Guilt joined the fear in Tanjiro as he once again made himself a burden on this man. "We will return to FoxTown. It is the closest settlement, and my home! I will inform the elders of this trespasser on our mountain and we shall go from there. So long as this wall is here, we cannot proceed."

His words sank in slowly, and it was obvious how much it disappointed Tanjiro. His shoulders sagged, tail drooped and ears fell flat against his burgundy hair as his face slowly tilted down. He hadn't even blinked as he wondered when he would be able to get home to his family. They would surely begin to think he had died…

"My boy." A warm hand laid on his shoulder and Tanjiro slowly looked up.

Rengoku was smiling down at him, it was warm and made the corners of his eyes crinkle. "It will be okay."

All Tanjiro could do was nod numbly. He couldn't exactly fight back on Rengoku's decision, this was his territory after all, he knew what was best in the worst situations. But that did not stop the awful feelings gnawing at Tanjiros gut.

The fox leaned down to nudge their cheeks together. While oddly intimate, Tanjiro appreciated his attempt to comfort him.

He let Rengoku turn him around and use a palm against his back to lead him back the way they had come.

Tanjiro glanced back at the wall just once before he had to put all his focus on once again climbing the mountain.

#rengoku kyojuro #kyotan #rentan #fox rengoku #tanuki tanjiro #rengoku x tanjiro

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chin-chilla01 · 9 months

Text

Foxtown, Chapter One

Tanjiro ventures out into the woods and gets caught in a blizzard

Word count: 3800

A tanuki let out an irritated grunt as he pulled a small metal cage out from under a heavy blanket of snow.

The trap was cold to the touch and empty, save for what little bait was still left inside.

"This isn't good…" Tanjiro sighed as he inspected the cage briefly before putting it off to the side with the five other different traps he'd collected on his route.

With winter hitting its full swing in just a couple of days the whole village has been scrambling around to make sure their fully prepared; not just for the animals that would be hibernating but for others who had a very high chance of just getting trapped inside because of the heavy snow falls that came around in there area. That meant harvesting the final crops, collecting whatever supplies, and storing up on everything you think you'd need, because the odds of being able to go out and find it would be slim to none.

The Kamado family was no exception to this mad dash for food storage before they needed to hibernate. Their mother Kie had been working extra hard all autumn to make sure their vegetable harvest would be plentiful, and Nezuko and himself were the ones to gather any protein (Nezuko taking to fishing while Tanjiro dealt with the more gruesome hunting)

Technically as Tanuki, and members of this specific village, the family usually refrained from eating any meat because they didn't need it to survive most of the time. Many of their neighbor's were smaller animals like birds, mice and rabbits. It just felt wrong to be eating another animal knowing a very kind squirrel lived just up the road. As Omnivores, the Kamado family usually ate more fish and vegetables than anything, but they switched it up during the winter because of the youngest members.

The Tanuki family were among those who went to sleep from November to April, waking up only to clean up or eat something before going right back into their instinctual slumber. They were a family of seven, with three of them still being far from old enough to go out on their own, so Tanjiro's mother likes to make sure they still got extra food whenever they did wake up, keeping them strong and healthy so they would grow up properly. A habit she had picked up on when their, now deceased, father was around. He always had to have a little extra fat and protein during the winter because of his natural frailty.

So this prep work was something Tanjiro has long since been used to. Ever since he had properly learned transformation and was able to move around outside their burrow on his own he had immediately taken up to the chores, and took them more seriously every year as their family grew larger.

The issue at hand was that winter came earlier than anyone thought it would, or at least the snow did. Many villagers' crops got frozen over, the rivers too, and all the smaller animals people would hunt all vanished into their own homes. So the food storage the family had was strikingly low right now. It made Tanjiro feel worried for them, he didn't mind giving up some of his portions for the winter but he dared not let Nezuko or Takeo do the same, no matter how much they insisted.

'This section is completely empty too.' Tanjiro had done some walking around, scenting the air this way and that in an attempt to find anything at this point. Unfortunately any scent he did catch was stale, empty burrows and old migration trails. He was getting desperate, so much so that he had even started to turn towards the mountain, an area completely off limits for the residents that made the base of it their home…

"Tanjiro!"

Tanuki ears flicked up and over at the call of his name, making the Hanafuda earrings pierced into them flutter about.

"Taaaanjiiiroooo!!"

He turned just in time to feel the yellow blur slam into his midsection, knocking the air out of him and falling back into the snow. In an unfortunate chain of events he landed right on his tail, crying out at the sudden pain that shot up his back side and that caused snow on the branches above him to drop their gefty snow pile right on the pair of them.

"Aahhhh!! Cold cold cold!" The blurr, Zenitsu, quickly leapt up into the air and started flailing wildly in a circle, shaking away the frozen water before it melted into his dry clothing.

"Zenitsu that hurt!" Tanjiro scolded the older mouse. "You can't just tackle people like that, it's rude, you could have just grabbed my arm."

"But you didn't hear me the first few times!"

Zenitsu was a resident of the village, a mouse specifically. Tanjiro remembers the unfortunate years when his ears were too big for his head. He had once been told that the Blonde boy had been found half starved right outside the village and the old man up the road had taken him and another boy in. Now they were their own little nest. It was him and some other human child living out in the woods that Tanjiro would call his best friends.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Tanjiro asked after dusting snow off his own body. They were really far from town honestly, no one dared move out this far because of multiple reasons. Mostly that it was dangerous; predators lived farther out here, and no one could reach you if you called for help.

"Kaigaku and I are out collecting food." Zenitsu turned to point to a large woven basket nearby. From here Tanjiro couldn't see inside it, but he assumed it was things like mushrooms and nuts.

There likely wasn't very much either…

"Trying a few more times before winter?" Tanjiro asked.

For a moment Zenitsu looked surprised. "Last attempt for the season." When Tanjiro only tilted his head in confusion, that surprise turned to panic. "Tanjiro, there's a huge blizzard coming!"

"What?" Now it was the Tanuki's turn to look surprised. He even looked up and around, not a cloud in the sky and there wasn't even any wind. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure I can hear it!"

Most of the village would call Zenitsu a quack for saying stuff like that, but Tanjiro really wasn't one to judge him. He'd seen first hand how Zenitsu ears picked up on things others couldn't (plus he had his nose). At first he thought it was just a mouse thing but turns out it was a Zenitsu thing, he remembered sitting out in a field with the blonde and he would tell him all the things he heard: approaching animals, an oncoming breeze, sometimes he could even predict what people were going to say in a conversation because he could hear what they were feeling.

It was a shame Zenitsu was such a scaredy cat and wouldn't go hunting, he'd be a valuable asset.

"If it's you saying it I'll believe it." Tanjiro said nervously as his maroon eyes once again looked to the sky, the harmless blue sky. One he noticed had started to get darker, was it that late already?

"Once it arrives no ones going to be doing any more foraging. There's a lot of people out right now doing the same- ah wait why are you out here?"

"We don't have enough protein in the store burrow." Tanjiro appreciated the fact Zentisu didn't cringe or grimace at the word. Most others would shy away. It was an unspoken thing around the village to not talk about those kinds of things, as most of the residents were prey animals. But Zentisu had been Tanjiros friend for so long he didn't mind anymore, he knew the Tanuki wouldn't dare try anything. Plus he had a huge crush on his sister and was willing to bend over backwards for her, so that helped too.

"So your way out here?" Brown eyes nervously glanced around the forest; it was deathly quiet (to tanjiro anyway) with all the snow everywhere and for some that could be eerie. Tanjiro liked it though.

"I checked all my traps already and nothing was there. So I've been hoping to find something but no luck. I'm thinking I might try my luck up the mountain."

"Up the mountain?!" Zenitsu looked like he was struck by lightning with how his hair suddenly puffed up in alarm. "You can't do that -I know you're kind of a carnivore- but wolves and stuff live up the mountain! Plus that's where FoxTown is!"

FoxTown was exactly that: a village made up entirely of foxes. At least according to the older villagers. Tanjiro had never been, and as far as he knew not many others have either. It was because of the stories the older people would pass down to the younger generations that kept them away, they told them about how vicious and bloodthirsty foxes were. They could be meaner than wolves and were tricksters by nature. Taking joy in playing with their prey before eating it, almost like torture for entertainment. They were also powerful, with transformations similar to the Tanuki. The stories were also exaggerated saying things about how the more tails a fox had the more they ate and that meant they always were snatching up others to eat. That their appetite was never ending and they could make you see things if you weren't careful.

Tanjiro remembered being told by old man Jigoro that if you see lights in the woods while on the mountain to always move in the opposite direction of them, as that was likely a Fox Fire. A tactic used by them to trick you into thinking you were seeing village lights, and thus drawing you farther in away from safety so they could catch you…

The idea of being tricked like that scared Tanjiro a little. Foxes really were scary… he was certain most of the stories weren't true, but his mother often told him that no matter how wild the story, the truth was in there somewhere… The story had to start somewhere.

"Fox town or not…" the Tanuki pulled himself from his thoughts with a shake of his head. "I need to bring back something! Especially if this really is the last day."

"If they see you they're gonna eat you!" Zenitsu protested more, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him.

"Not if I look like one of them!" Tanjiro was certain they weren't cannibals.

"Eh?" Zenitsu looked stupefied. "Look like them-? Hey wait, have you been practicing your transformation!?"

Tanjiro couldn't help but smile widely. He was quite proud of how far he'd come! It wasn't very hard for him to change into a Racoon dog, other things were naturally much harder. But he'd been practicing for situations just like this! He wanted to appear like another animal so he could travel more, hunt more when they needed it!

Zenitsu still didn't look sure so Tanjiro would just have to show him. The change was swift and unfortunately left his clothing behind, but the blonde Mouse would be staring wide eyed at a Cross Fox, with a single tail of course. He was small for a fox but Tanjiro couldn't help that yet.

"Woah, your coat is black and red!"

"I'm still practicing." Tanjiro shook himself free of the checkered Haori on the ground.

"So my colors are just the same as my hair I guess. I don't know how to make it look orange."

"This is already really impressive though, Tanjiro! You don't fully sound like a fox though…"

"I don't know much about their sounds." The fluffy tail behind him drooped slightly. "I've never met a fox before after all!"

"I hope you never will, gramps met one once!"

"Oh?" The ears on Tanjiro's ears perked up. Another thing he couldn't change was the fact his earrings would be visible.

"Yeah it's how he got that scar on his cheek! He said he fought mad to get away. It's the only time he'd ever used the phrase 'trapped like a rat'." Taniro learned the hard way that mice did not like being called rats. He was also well aware that prey animals could be just as vicious as predators when their life was on the line.

"What happened?" Tanjiro asked, fox eyes wide.

Zentisu puffed his chest, proud to tell such a cool story about his grandpa. "It tried to eat him! He said its mouth was huge and it had super sharp teeth! Its fur looked rough, like he hadn't bathed in days and he was feral!"

"And mister Jigoro got away!?"

"He did! He even said he kicked a few of that nasty foxes' teeth out!"

Some of the elders were so cool. Tanjiro looked starry eyed, he was eager to get home and tell his younger siblings the same story. He could already see Rokutos wide eyes and Hanako cheering on the old mouse up the road.

Speaking of his family…

Tanjiro lookee up again before jumping to his paws. "I get going Zenitsu!"

"Wait, you're still going up the mountain!?" The boy reached out to the fox even as he watched it stuff his clothing under some roots in the snow to hide them.

"I have to! I can't go back empty handed-"

"But the blizzard!"

"Exactly!" The fox turned to his friend, puffed up and stubborn. "I'll be okay! I know my limits and will come back as quickly as I can!"

"But Tanjiro-"

"Actually Zenitsu-" the boy froze. "Nezuko is probably still out trying to fish! She should be at the river right next to town, can you go tell her what's going on? About me and more importantly the weather?" They really had to make sure everything was ready this evening.

Zenitsu jumped and saluted the fox, face becoming dead serious. "I will! I will go find Nezuko right now!!" And with what sounded like a small clap of thunder the mouse was gone, basket and all.

"I knew that would get him off my back." Tanjiro chuckled, it sounded weird coming from a fox but he'd have to get used to it quickly. He could be stuck like this for several hours after all.

After making sure his things were properly stuffed into hiding, he took a moment to pause and look back the way he'd come before heading deeper into the forest.

Tanjiro had never gone this far before, the forest got denser, the elevation more intense and more rocks and cliffs to bar his path. He knew it wouldn't be easy but with more difficulty came opportunity, more cracks and hiding places for smaller mammals and luck was apparently on his side. He caught the scent of rabbits.

He had hunted before in his Racoon Dog form, and truthfully it wasn't that different as a fox. Except for his legs being a little longer and coat less thick- he couldn't mimic a winter coat as he hadn't ever seen one on a fox before. Regardless, catching them was easy. He followed the small critters all the way back to their burrow and used his skinny paws and nose to dig them back out. Two satisfied meals for the road.

It was just in time too because as he quickly made his way back down the mountain the wind was starting to pick up speed and drop in temperature, he also couldn't ignore the rather heavy scent of something following him.

Whatever it was had been lurking around him for a while now, it had first appeared when he had really gotten into the thick part of the woods, and if it weren't for his sensitive nose he might not have noticed it at all. It was clearly good at hunting because no matter how Tanjiro tried to locate it, it remained hidden. It made the fur stand on end along his back. Was it a fox or probably worse a wolf? Was an owl or a hawk hunting him from the air?

Several times he would stop and turn around to look at the brush and trees, but see nothing but the quiet forest and snow, which just elevated his panic. His instincts were telling him he had to get out of there, he was being hunted.

Snow had now started to mix in with the howling wind. It was coming down faster and heavier than Tanjiro had ever felt before, almost blocking his vision completely. He began to feel fear when he realized that the fresh powder was starting to cover up the scent trail he was following to get back home.

'No, no, no-!' He thought, teeth clenching into the rabbits in his mouth as he began to pick up the pace. He cared less about getting away from the thing behind him and more for getting out of the unknown territory. If he could just get to some kind of landmark he recognized he'd be okay! The more rational part of his brain was telling him he should find shelter, a tree root he could quickly burrow into or some crevice between the boulders and to wait the storm out till it ended.

Unfortunately the more stubborn side of him wouldn't let his legs stop moving. He had to get back home, not just because of the food but because he knew his family would be worried sick about him being stuck outside in a blizzard. They would be safe inside the burrow, warmed by a fire, and that eased Tanjiro's mind just a little bit. Even as a heavy wind nearly knocked him over.

Tanjiro let out a surprised yip as he stumbled, one paw collided with something hard under the snow and it sent pain all the way up that leg. One of the rabbits slipped from his mouth as he cried out in pain and he watched in horror as it started to roll away from him-

Tanjiro scrambled awkwardly after it, trying to catch it but being so unused to the fox-like body that he couldn't focus, he flailed out in the snow, trying to stop his precious kill from getting away. He lunged forward, his paws landing right on it and for a moment he felt the sweet elation of victory and relief.

Before the ground under him suddenly lurched forward with his weight and he felt himself briefly floating out into the air. He looked down with wide eyes to see craggy rock and snow several feet below him. All the white in his vision and panic had completely tunnel visioned him to the point he couldn't tell he had been running right for a cliff.

Everything slowed down. His red eyes dilating with adrenaline, mouth falling open so his other rabbit fell out as a panicked yowl ripped itself from his throat. He flipped in the air and flailed around madly, trying to grab hold of anything to stop his fall but he had slipped too far away.

In an instant it all sped up again, his violent mid air thrashing and the oncoming ground below.

He felt pain shoot through his head and then everything went dark.

Tanjiro liked autumn the most; the red and yellow leaves were such a beautiful sight to him, he could watch his siblings prance about and jump into the piles had made for them. The temperature was the perfect level of cool so that it didn't bite at his skin, but cooled him under his thick coat or clothing.

The crisp air always smelled clean and natural, the scent of the dirt under his paws as he went on a small stroll with his sister was relaxing, the sound of a river before it would freeze over added to the atmosphere. Being able to lounge pleasantly on a rock as the breeze shook the leaves around him like music as he watched the sky was one of his favorite things to do when he had a free moment. It would be even better when his younger siblings would come to join him and they would make a game out of cloud watching.

His family always brought out the warmest and most tender feelings in him. The feeling of them pressed against him with all the younger kids huddled in the nest for warmth and their mothers bushy tail laying across them like the softest blanket in the world. He wanted that so badly right now.

Right now though he felt his paws crunching under brittle leaves as padded quickly through the woods. His little Raccoon Dog nose would occasionally tilt upwards to catch a whiff of something, smoke and ash, before he quickly started on his journey again.

He wasn't sure where he was going, and he wasn't sure if he was just walking in circles. Everything in this forest looked exactly the same, the same shades of red, yellow and orange. The same sounds. The only thing that seemed to change was that scent, it would get stronger and stronger as his little paws carried him forwards. He was getting so eager to find its source that he had started a quick trott and was ready to break into a full run.

But then suddenly it was in front of him.

Maple leaves, neatly raked up into a large pile, just waiting to be jumped into. But oddly enough small tendrils of smoke were curling their way out of the open spaces of the pile, like it was a hot day and the dry leaves were just starting to catch fire.

That's what it smelled like anyway.

Fire was something to be feared but respected, his father had taught him that early on. Because, while a blaze could destroy entire forests, they still used fire to warm themselves in their burrow and used it to light dark rooms to feel safe. They used it to cook their food too.

Fire could be friend or foe.

But this felt alive. As Tanjiro sniffed at the air, paws slowly inching him closer to the pile, the scent of husky maple and smoke wrapped him up and made him feel warm. It was like a comfortable warm blanket was wrapped around him and the scent was just elevating the relaxed sensation that was slowly spreading throughout his body.

He wanted more of it, wanted this smell to completely take him over.

Tanjiro stuck his nose right into the pile of leaves and felt something wet. He felt a force push back against him and slowly, but never breaking the contact, pulled his head back. He watched an orange muzzle slowly creep out from below the leaves, its wet nose pressed against his own and he dared not pull away.

Suddenly the leaves exploded, falling around him in a beautiful rain of warm colors. For a brief moment, through the falling leaves, Tanjiro saw it: warm golden fur, dark paws and golden eyes.

A fox.

His heart skipped a beat.

It was beautiful.

And then he woke up.

#rentan #kyotan #fox rengoku #rengoku x tanjiro #tanuki tanjiro #demon slayer fanfic

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