FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Gift

Daniel's Intro, Part 3

copyright comidacomida 2018

The conversation was going nowhere, and I wasn't really all that comfortable standing on the stairs leading up to my apartment talking to two beast men-- two SPIRITS out in the open when apparently nobody else could see them besides me. Kon was obviously interested in me but I couldn't shake the feeling that Herne was too... in his own stand-offish, distracting way. If my life WAS taking a crazy turn like this then there was obviously only one answer so I invited them both up since I wanted to learn more about what was going on and... well... hot guys, you know?

I had to turn sideways on the stairwell and lean back against the handrail so I could address them both. "You know, guys, I'm right here. You don't have to talk about me like it's behind my back. If you both want to come up to my apartment that's fine-- no need to fight about it. Sure, it may be a studio but there's enough room for everyone."

Kon shot the Elk a displeased glance. "So you might think... but this one's ego is so big you'd be surprised how quick he fills a room."

Herne didn't rise to the Fox's bait. "Of course, Daniel. Thank you for the invitation. I will certainly accept."

Letting out a deep sigh, Kon about-faced and trotted the rest of the way up the staircase; I watched with regret that a piece of clothing returned to his body every few steps. By the time he reached the top he had his jeans and jacket on, along with a pair of sunglasses. Although his voice still held a strong sense of invitation there was also a hint of strained displeasure in it. "So... you two gonna just hang out down there all night or what?"

The Elk reached out and his strong hand gave my butt an almost imperceptible smack, palm pressed against my left cheek. At first I had to figure out what had just happened, but he reinforced the action by stating "By all means, Daniel... I will follow you up."

I couldn't escape the feeling that I was being sized up by Herne as he followed me up the stairs; it was even more disconcerting because, even trailing at two steps below me, we were almost the same height. Only once I got to the top did Kon cease glaring down at the Elk and approached my apartment instead. "You really shouldn't leave the door open-- there's no telling who might come in uninvited. Humans aren't as polite as we spirits and it'd be a shame if something happened to--"

I spoke over him. "What's that sound?"

It was enough to quiet him as I strained my ears, stepping past Kon as I eased my door further open. I'd left it ajar since I was only going down to take out the trash; it wasn't a bad neighborhood so it didn't seem like such an issue, but I realized something was different: the TV was on and I hadn't been watching TV. From behind me, Herne spoke up in a distinct, matter-of-fact tone. "Fox."

Kon shot him a glare. "What?"

The Elk motioned to the open doorway. "The channel. The television is on."

Sure enough, as I listened in I recognized the program. Fox was one of my go-to channels, along with FX, and FX movies. The apartment complex had expanded cable for free, which meant I was able to get everything from ABC to VH1 and I made good use of it, but, having been busy with dinner I hadn't even had a chance to turn the set on. "But I wasn't watching TV... what is it doing on?"

I pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked inside. With the main room of my apartment being essentially one large square I could take in a full view with only one glance. The kitchen was exactly how I remembered it and the small table was there with the chair still pulled out. My bed was off in the corner, still unmade, and the entire room was lit bluish with the picture from the television. Also illuminated was the small two-person couch against the wall, which was occupied by an entirely unexpected visitor: a Coyote man.

It wasn't much of a stretch to realize that he, like Kon and Herne was a spirit. The Coyote was covered in light gray fur on most of (what I could see of) his body with red, black, and white fur splotched around here-and-there. He was wearing a bath robe and, by all measure looked as though he were making himself at home with his foot paws propped up on the coffee table I had in front of the sofa. His purple eyes gleamed with a light that came from somewhere beyond the reflection of the TV's picture and his bush tail, which was curled around onto his lap flicked. When he spoke his voice was a smooth tenor and was awash with humor. "Doorway's right there-- remember the Accord. Neither of you better be thinking of Skin-Riding my--"

I was surprised enough to see him in my apartment that I didn't bother waiting for him to finish speaking. "Accord? What's--"

The Coyote's attention, which had been mostly on the TV immediately snapped our direction and I saw him staring right at me. I lost track of exactly how he did it, but with an arch to his back that would have done a cat proud, he got to his feet without even pushing himself off of the couch. "What did you-- can you--?"

I crossed my arms in defiance to his questions. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

He blinked, his erect ears taking turns flicking. He took two careful steps to the right, then four steps to the left, then two back to the right to return to the spot in which he'd started. "You can see me? You weren't able to before!"

Something about his statement didn't sit well with me. "Before? What exactly do you mean by before?"

I felt a light tingle on my elbow and looked down to see that Kon's paw rested in the crook of my arm; the slight sensation of being drawn back toward the doorway made me realize that the Fox was trying to pull me back. "Careful, Daniel... when spirits don't play by the rules the only thing you can be sure to expect is trouble."

The Coyote let out a single, good-humored 'ha', and picked up a piece of popcorn from a bowl resting on the coffee table. "Sure. Says the Yokai."

Herne stepped past me, leveling a finger at the third spirit. "How is it you've broken the Sanctity of the Hearth so casually? Are you so flippantly disinterested in existing that you risk a Backlash?"

Rolling his eyes, the Coyote simply snorted, and tied off the maroon cloth strap that held his similarly-colored bathrobe closed. "I did no such thing, and I'm insulted that you'd think I'd be so disrespectful as to overlook the Sanctity of the Hearth. I would never break such an important and meaningful Accord."

Their discussion had already gone way over my head. "Backlash? Sanctity of what? An Accord? Like... a Honda?"

Kon giggled. "You are so kawaii, Daniel... never change, kyuti."

Herne wasn't so casual in the face of the unexpected Coyote. He kept his eye on the bathrobe-wearing visitor as he spoke aside to me. "Spirits aren't able to enter a human's home without permission."

I paused at that. "You mean... like a vampire?"

The Coyote sat down on the edge of the coffee table. He was splayed out casually that I could almost see up beneath his robe and, for a moment, I was almost sure I saw something, but his laugh caught my attention and pulled my focus up to his face. "No, Daniel... not like vampires. Those are just a silly myth humans put together after they stopped believing in spirits but before they forgot about all of the rules for interacting with them."

It felt frustrating to be laughed at while I was trying to understand, but something else was more pressing, and I called him on it. "How come you know my name?"

Laughing even more, the Coyote stood up, once again regaining his modesty. "We've been living together for almost a month. Aside from the mail you get and the login ID on your computer, you also tell yourself off when you get mad at yourself."

I scowled. "No I don't."

To be honest, I was completely surprised when he spoke and I heard my voice coming out of his muzzle, and then realized that he was quoting something I'd said to myself earlier that evening while sitting down to dinner. "Damn it, Daniel, get a fork, you savage."

Despite my distraction, Herne wasn't dissuaded from his interrogation. "How were you able to get past the Sanctity of the Hearth? Daniel has not invited you into his apartment."

Commercials had started so the Coyote turned around and picked up the bowl of popcorn; I was surprised that he seemed to have so little trouble touching something physical when neither Kon nor Herne seemed able to do anything nearly as well. A moment later my curiosity was answered as the bowl and its contents disappeared in a puff of smoke-- spirit popcorn? Freaky. Turning back to regard us, my third guess finally responded. "I moved in two days before he did."

Kon and Herne glanced at one another and then the Fox burst out laughing. "Wow! I can't believe I never thought of that!"

I looked to the Elk for clarification. "So... he can do that? He can be in my apartment even if I didn't invite him?"

Herne let out a slow, purposeful nod. "Yes, Daniel. When the apartment is not occupied it is nobody's home and spirits can freely come and go."

That was quite a loop hole. "But what about once I moved in?"

The Coyote flopped back down on the sofa and the bowl of popcorn reappeared in his lap. "I couldn't get back in if I left... which is why I haven't left."

One part of me was immediately furious that I'd had a deadbeat squatter in my apartment ever since I moved in, but another part of my was impressed with his audacity... not to mention his creative method for getting past the rules. "What about the 'Backlash' thing? What's with that?"

Kon's tail flicked against my leg. "Eh-- there's plenty of time to discuss all that once we evict this deadbeat... right Herne?"

The Elk crossed his arms over his chest, a grunt his only response; it was hard to tell if that was an ascent or a contradiction. The Coyote, on the other hand, looked up, ears raised. "I'm not a deadbeat. I pay my own upkeep and, besides, I've already helped Daniel a lot."

That statement was one I could focus on. "How have you helped me, exactly?"

Staring at me with softly glowing Amethyst-colored eyes, the Coyote stated simply "Your anti virus software was out of date. I updated it. Really, Daniel-- when you visit sites like that you really should consider making sure you're as safe as possible."

I knew EXACTLY what he meant, and felt immediately embarrassed. "I... you--"

He raised a paw even as he stared at the television; whatever show he'd been watching had come back on. "I'm Talapus, by the way... and that one site you visit with that artist who draws us in 'that way you like'? Yeah... she doesn't draw us big enough... just saying."

It was quite a statement for him to throw out there, and I--